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Baseball: Dodgers vs. Reds Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers low-fives manager Dave Roberts after scoring on a RBI single by Freddie Freeman in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds on July 28, 2025, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. PUBLICATIONxINxAUTxBELxBIHxBULxCZExDENxESTxFINxFRAxGEOxGERxGRExHUNxISLxIRLxITAxLATxLTUxLUXxLIExMKDxNORxPORxPOLxROUxSVKxSUIxSRBxSLOxESPxTURxUKxUAExONLY A14AA0004746265P

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Baseball: Dodgers vs. Reds Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers low-fives manager Dave Roberts after scoring on a RBI single by Freddie Freeman in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds on July 28, 2025, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. PUBLICATIONxINxAUTxBELxBIHxBULxCZExDENxESTxFINxFRAxGEOxGERxGRExHUNxISLxIRLxITAxLATxLTUxLUXxLIExMKDxNORxPORxPOLxROUxSVKxSUIxSRBxSLOxESPxTURxUKxUAExONLY A14AA0004746265P
On Sunday, the Dodgers bounced back in style after dropping two straight to the Padres, pulling off an 8-2 win that put them back on top of the NL West alongside San Diego. But the highlight? Shohei Ohtani’s 45th homer of the season. Well, Ohtani isn’t usually one for flashy celebrations, but he had a fun little moment after his ninth-inning blast. As he rounded the bases, the entire Dodgers dugout was waiting for him, but before heading in to celebrate with his teammates, he took a pit stop. Spotting a Padres fan in a Fernando Tatis Jr. jersey near the visitors’ dugout, Ohtani reached out for a high-five.
The fan, who was teasing Ohtani for his hitless score from beside the Dodgers dugout, caught off guard, played along. And Ohtani even gave him a pat on the back before turning to join his teammates in their usual home run routine. Now, it was a rare, playful gesture from Ohtani, one that even caught manager Dave Roberts by surprise.
When asked about the moment, Roberts said, “Very annoying, as he’s in my right ear the entire game. But it was very out of character from Shohei. He was wearing him out the whole game. So it was good to see Shohei initiate a high-five from him. That was great. That was fun. It was good to see Shohei show his personality.”
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MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Los Angeles Angels at Los Angeles Dodgers Jun 21, 2024 Los Angeles, California, USA Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani 17 laughs as he talks with Los Angeles Angels players in the dugout during a pitching change in the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles Dodger Stadium California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJaynexKamin-Onceax 20240621_jko_aj4_029
Well, it wasn’t just Ohtani who got shut down earlier in the series. The Dodgers’ lineup as a whole struggled, managing only five hits across the first two games before finally breaking out in Sunday’s finale. Notably, Freddie Freeman helped spark the turnaround with two HRs, including a game-tying shot in the sixth that set the stage for Dalton Rushing’s go-ahead three-run blast an inning later.
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Up until the ninth, though, the heckler near the Dodgers’ dugout had plenty to chirp about. At least until Shohei Ohtani stepped up and changed the story with his big swing.
Ohtani’s Hitless Streak Broken Amid the Dodgers’ Improved At-Bat Approach
It wasn’t just Shohei Ohtani snapping out of a slump on Sunday. The entire Dodgers lineup finally woke up after a rough couple of games in San Diego. For the unversed, the Dodgers’ offense looked stuck in neutral in the first 23 innings of the series at Petco Park. Just two runs and five total hits!
Hence, the lack of production had people wondering if their hitters needed to rethink the all-or-nothing approach.
What’s your perspective on:
Did Shohei Ohtani's playful high-five with a Padres fan steal the spotlight from the Dodgers' win?
Have an interesting take?

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Baseball: Dodgers vs. Padres Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a solo home run in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres on Aug. 24, 2025, at Petco Park in San Diego, California. PUBLICATIONxINxAUTxBELxBIHxBULxCZExDENxESTxFINxFRAxGEOxGERxGRExHUNxISLxIRLxITAxLATxLTUxLUXxLIExMKDxNORxPORxPOLxROUxSVKxSUIxSRBxSLOxESPxTURxUKxUAExONLY A14AA0004783193P
That all changed midway through the finale. Freeman tied things up with a sixth-inning homer, and rookie catcher Dalton Rushing followed with a three-run blast in the seventh. Freeman went deep again that same inning, and Shohei Ohtani capped it off with his 45th long ball of the season in the ninth.
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The Dodgers’ offensive was good enough on Sunday and even Roberts admitted, “From pitch one – Shohei’s at-bat in the first, Mookie’s (Betts) at-bat in the first, and Freddie, and just all throughout the lineup, I thought today was more indicative of what we’re going to do, (what) we expect going forward.“
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And it just came when the Dodgers are already in their postseason planning!
Freeman summed up the turnaround perfectly. “We had a better plan, executed it better. I thought the outs were better today.” In other words, a better at the bat turned into better results. While it sounds strange, better outs really did lead to better hits. Fans saw that on Sunday.
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Did Shohei Ohtani's playful high-five with a Padres fan steal the spotlight from the Dodgers' win?