■MLB Dodgers 7-2 Padres (27th Japan time, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California)

The Dodgers defeated the Padres in a big upset to win their third straight division championship. Shohei Otani (30) won his first regional championship in his seventh year in the major leagues. In their final home game, they started from behind but turned the game around in the final stages, and the stadium erupted in joy.

Otani had 3 hits and 1 RBI in 5 at bats, including a game-winning RBI home run in the 7th inning with the score tied at 2-2. Contributed to the come-from-behind victory with two consecutive game-winning hits and multiple hits. Otani joined in the joy of winning for the first time and was all smiles.

With the previous day’s victory, the Dodgers finally reactivated their district championship magic “2”. Otani said about winning the district, “That’s why I worked so hard to get to this point.”

The final game against the Padres, with a shot at winning the championship. The Padres starting pitcher is J. Musgrove (31), who has won double digits for three years in a row until 2023. He has 1 hit in 1 at bat this season, but his chemistry is not good with 1 hit in 8 at bats and 1 strikeout in total. In a game that will determine the strength of both teams, Dodgers starter W. Buehler (30) and Padres starter Musgrove met on the field before the game, giving each other a high-five and congratulating each other on their efforts.

After starting pitcher Buehler held the first inning scoreless, No. 1 hitter Otani’s first at-bat, the final game at home, the flow of the game was at stake, and he headed to the bat to a loud cheer. From the count of 1-2, he successfully covered the bat with a high outside angle of 151 km straight and bounced it back toward the center, but he fell to a grounder in front of the shortstop who was shifting.

Game 3 of Tennozan had a quiet start compared to the last two games, the 3rd inning was 0-0, Otani’s second at bat with two outs and no runners, the first pitch was a foul on a changeup, 2 The first pitch was a sweeper, and when the count was 0-2, he hooked the third pitch with a low outside curve and grounded out first. Musgrove has used all kinds of pitches against Ohtani so far.

The Dodgers played the game carefully, with the championship on the line, and even without a runner, when Buehler was unsure of the type of pitch to pitch, catcher W. Smith (29) immediately went to the mound to check on each other’s thoughts. was seen. However, in the 5th inning, he allowed a walk with one out, and the No. 9 K. Higashioka (34) hit a two-base ball to the left field line, putting him in a pinch with one out and second and third base.

Here, at bat was No. 1 L. Arise (27), the leading batter in the National League, and the Dodgers did not play forward defense, and Arise hit the bat with certainty and grounded out to first, while the runner on third base returned home. The Padres broke the deadlock.

Furthermore, in the 6th inning, the Dodgers’ second man, E. Phillips (30), was hit by consecutive hits from the leadoff batter, causing a pinch with no outs on first and second base, and the Padres bench sent No. 5, J. Merrill (21), to bunt. If you decide for sure, it’s number 6. X. Bogaerts (31) hit a sacrifice fly to center field for an extra point. The Padres took advantage of few chances, including a sacrifice fly and a ground ball in the infield, to score points.

In the 6th inning, trailing 0-2 and 2 runs, Otani’s third at-bat, with the count 1-1, he compactly swung the curve that was hit in the previous at-bat and hit it in front of right field, without aiming for a single shot. He got on base. No. 2 M. Betts (31) advanced to 2nd base on a third grounder, and No. 3 F. Freeman (34) advanced to third base on a right fly ball, but No. 4 T. Hernandez (31) whiffed and struck out. Even when Otani got on base, he was unable to score. Musgrove has pitched 18 1/3 scoreless innings for the Padres.

In the 7th inning, the Dodgers’ No. 5, M. Muncy (34), walked on base, and No. 6, Smith, the catcher who had led the pitching staff up until this point, hit the back screen with No. 20 tying two-run. Otani on the bench also showed a big fist pump and high-fived Freeman who was next to him. Musgrove, who had been pitching well thus far, finally got a point.

When the Dodgers found a flow, the second Padres man, left-handed pitcher T. Scott (30), pinch hitter K. Hernandez (33) got on base with a hit, and No. 9 A. Pagés (23) got on base with a hit interference. In Otani’s fourth at-bat, with a count of 1-0, his teammate connected with a chance, and from a count of 1-0, he compactly sent a slider from a high outside angle to the right field for a winning run, and Otani, unusually, ran to first base with a fist pump.

In addition, No. 2 Betts also hit a 2-point timely hit to right center, making it 5-2. Betts, who had been having a bad time so far, showed a fist pump on first base and let out a roar. However, No. 3 Freeman grounded out to second base, and this throw deflected, causing him to twist his right ankle as he evaded the touch and was replaced. The Dodgers have another injury.

In the 9th inning, with two outs and 1st base, the No. 9 Pagés hit the No. 12 two-run home run, giving Otani his turn at bat in the final home game. The Padres then took the mound for the fourth time, Hiroki Matsui (28), making his first pitching since September 8th against Ohtani. The first pitch, a straight ball with a high outside angle, caused a foul, and Otani rarely smiled. Then, on the second pitch, he missed the timing with a slider, but the hit landed in front of left field, quickly hitting second base and making him two base. Ohtani became the first player in major league history to hit 400 bases in a season in 23 years.

The Dodgers scored five points in one go in the seventh inning, and with the help of their relievers, they clinched their district championship for the third consecutive year in the final game at home.