GLENDALE, Ariz.– Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet dealt with Shohei Ohtani two times throughout the 2021 season, setting out the super star both times.
There was a little additional attention– far more than a common Cactus League video game– when the 2 squared off Tuesday at Camelback Ranch.
It was Ohtani’s very first at-bat in a spring training video game after consenting to a record 10-year, $700 million handle the Los Angeles Dodgers in early December.
“The crowd was loud, so we were both feeling the advantage of that,” Crochet stated.
Batting 2nd in the bottom of the very first, Ohtani examined his swing on Crochet’s very first offering for a ball. Ohtani swung tough and missed out on the 2nd pitch, with his helmet falling off. He fouled off the next pitch and after that Crochet froze him for strike 3.
“Just made some excellent pitches,” Crochet stated.
It was all part of an eventful day in front of a crowd of 6,678 at Camelback Ranch, where the Sox lost 9-6.
Ohtani remained in the Dodgers lineup a couple of months after he went through elbow surgical treatment– a treatment that will keep the two-way All-Star off the mound till 2025.
He went 1-for-3 as the designated player Tuesday. He grounded into a 4-6-3 double play versus previous Los Angeles Angels colleague Justin Anderson in the 3rd however sent out a trigger throughout the park in the 5th with an opposite-field, two-run homer versus Dominic Leone– another previous colleague.
Dodgers designated player Shohei Ohtani views his two-run homer throughout the 5th inning versus the White Sox on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
“It was certainly a huge primary step,” Ohtani informed press reporters through an interpreter. “The huge thing for me was that I had the ability to round off the video game with no issues. I certainly feel proficient at the plate and felt much better each time I got up, so it’s trending in the best instructions.”
The enjoyment constructed well before the very first pitch. Professional photographers collected near the third-base dugout more than 40 minutes before the video game, waiting for Ohtani’s arrival. Fans, 2 deep, lined up near to the left-field fence.
There was a substantial cheer as his name was revealed over the general public address system.
Crochet stated his focus in the minute was “simply playing catch.” Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol stated before the video game the buzz for a video game like Tuesday’s is “constantly great.”
“It pumps up the guys,” he stated. “But we’ve got to head out there and achieve our goals for the day.”
Anderson, Leone, pitcher Jesse Chavez, catcher Max Stassi, infielder Mike Moustakas and outfielder Brett Phillips are amongst those in Sox camp who played Tuesday and were colleagues with Ohtani on the Angels. New striking coach Marcus Thames held the very same function with the Angels last season. And brand-new bullpen coach Matt Wise was the Angels pitching coach the previous 3 seasons after acting as their bullpen coach in 2020.
