Despite the Dodgers’ 2-6 loss to the Blue Jays in Game 4 of the World Series, fans have not forgotten Shohei Ohtani’s record-breaking performance in Game 3. The Japanese superstar reached base nine times, breaking the World Series record of six. This did not go unnoticed, as Alexis Ohanian, an entrepreneur and Serena Williams’ husband, gave a simple yet profound reaction to Ohtani’s performance.

Ohanian tweeted just one word: “Titan.” This was a reply to a post by Noah Camras on X, where the latter broke down Ohtani’s last seven at-bats at Dodger Stadium, which included four home runs and three doubles in the NLCS and World Series.

In Game 3, the Dodgers’ star went 4-for-4 at the plate and drew five intentional walks. This performance showed how good he was at offense and how much respect other teams had for his skills. Freddie Freeman, Ohtani’s teammate, talked about how big the display was after the game and praised Ohtani’s role in LA’s 18-inning win over Toronto. Freeman got the walk-off win, but Ohtani owned the game.

But Game 4 told a very different story. Shohei Ohtani was supposed to pitch and bat first, but he had his first real problem of the series against Toronto’s Shane Bieber. Ohtani was taken out in the seventh inning with runners on base and the Blue Jays trailing 2-1. They went on to win 6-2. The series is now tied at two games each, and Game 5 will be played at Dodger Stadium.

 Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers struggle as the Blue Jays fight back

When Game 4 started, the toll of a historic Game 3 marathon was clear. Mark Prior, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitching coach, went up to Shohei Ohtani in the dugout during the sixth inning to see how much more he could do, keeping in mind the 18-inning game from the night before. Ohtani answered confidently, saying to manager Dave Roberts, “Three more innings,” but his statement was too hopeful. Roberts took him out of the game two batters later, though, to keep his talisman fresh for the upcoming matches.

The numbers told a terrible story. Ohtani didn’t get a hit, and Shane Bieber struck him out twice, breaking up the offensive rhythm that had led to four hits in four at-bats the night before. His sweeper to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leaked over the plate, which Ohtani called “a regrettable pitch” through an interpreter. This led to the two-run homer that gave Toronto an early lead. He struck out six batters and threw 90 pitches in six innings, and his team was down by one run.

It looked like Ohtani’s experiment with starting pitchers in the postseason could be saved when the seventh inning started. A single by Daulton Varsho and a double by Ernie Clement that went 101.7 mph changed the math. Roberts called in his bullpen, and the Blue Jays took advantage by scoring four runs against new pitchers. Ohtani’s response was typical of an athlete who is dealing with death: “I wanted to go seven, and it was too bad I couldn’t finish that inning.”

Shohei Ohtani has a 2-1 record as a starting pitcher in the postseason, with a 3.50 ERA over 18 innings. He is also willing to pitch from the bullpen in Game 6 or Game 7 if needed.