Miami – The singular pleasure of October Hardball has never honored this place, but at least the magic of Shohei Ohtani has.
Since the opening in 2012, the Miami Loandepot Park has organized 1,014 regular season competition. And yet, in addition to the temporary residences of Sacramento and Tampa, it is the only active MLB stadium that has never welcomed a post-season match.
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And because the perpetually reconstruction of the marlins is, well, perpetually rebuilt, this futuristic colossus and southern Florida has less than 10,000 souls under its retractable roof. It is, with the exception of the electrifying atmosphere of the World Baseball Classic, The Echoey, Home without tension from baseball with low challenges.
Except that when Ohtani comes to town.
On Monday, the DH Dodgers went deep in Miami for the fifth time in six career games here. His fifth round shot on a pipe Sandy Alcantara The radiator has been praised in the Los Angeles lift enclosure at 117.9 MPH, making it the most difficult ball in its season and the most difficult home run until now this year.
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This two-point laser gave the title champions an advance of 5-1, an advance on which they kept safe on the way A 7-4 victory. It was their eighth victory in their last nine games, and Ohtani, once again, was at the center of the action.
“Very good memories, just with achievements last year and playing in WBC,” Ohtani told journalists after the match, via interpreter Will Ireton. “You know, we also had a very good game today. So, really, it's one of my favorite stadiums.”
Yes, it is extremely weird that many of the most brilliant moments in the brightest star of the sport have taken place here, in a building that looks more like an abandoned Chernobyl aquatic center than a professional sporting place. A 15,395 report attended a Monday match, marking the biggest crowd during the week of the Marlins season so far. The atmosphere was far from that of Ohtani's original park, because the second and third decks of Loandepot were almost completely vacant, a product of the annual status of Miami's doormat.
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For the context, the Marlins (13-21) attracted 40,097 fans in total last weekend for a three game set against athletics. The Dodgers (24-11) had an announced attendance of 47,192 for their last home game (which was against Miami). This is another sign of the enormous canyon between these two organizations, which are at the opposite ends of the financial spectrum in baseball. The marlins currently have a payroll of around $ 69 million, while dodgers with major expenses are much higher at the $ 450 million mark between luxury contracts and payments.
None of this was going through Ohtani's mind – that of the highly postponed contract of $ 700 million – on Monday. The magnificent exploits of the world superstar in this most worried framework have become an inevitable part of its legend. During WBC 2023, Ohtani delivered consecutive emblematic performances to transport Japan to its third title. In the semi-finals, he launched a double at the bottom of the ninth round to direct a magnificent return against Mexico, then, he closed the final with a withdrawal of teammates from the Angels at the time Mike Trout.
Last September, Ohtani was returned Perhaps the biggest offensive game in the history of the MLB. The triple MVP participated in a competition on September 19 against the Marlins with 48 circuits and 49 interceptions, seeking to become the first 50/50 baseball player. Still the showman, Ohtani went 6 for 6 that day, with three circuits and two interceptions.
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And Monday, during his first match at “The Depot” since this history afternoon, Ohtani continued his reign of the domination of the Dade county. He now has an absurd shiny line .370 / .433 / 1,000 in Miami. The Home Run alongside Alcantara, like many Home Runs d'Ohtani, was impressive, inducing the oooooh. The sound was clear, turning the head and immediate, like a whip cracking the surface of a lake.
“I'm sure (his) Velo helped with my bike outing,” said Ohtani humbly after the match through Ireton when he was asked how he felt like he is with a bullet so squarely. “And you know, I was happy to have been able to start again.”
Compared to his previous achievements in Miami, the two Ohtani points shooting against a team of modest marlins on a Monday in May transports a much less dramatic narrative or narrative pizazz. On that day, no recording was beaten where the trays reached or the trophies raised.
Just a generational talent doing his thing in a stadium that has become his personal baseball playground.
