Shohei Ohtani’s first home run of the season sparks controversy

[{"selector":"#anim-330d0b7d-63eb-4dae-922a-9aff95e124bc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":100,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-10aae156-d33d-4ebf-b2a3-2e637d1ed472","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -402.67234%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":100,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Shohei Ohtani’s first home run of the season sparks controversy

The quest of another unanimous MVP award by Los Angeles Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani is off to a fantastic beginning.

[{"selector":"#anim-946b4d1e-b52b-47f9-b748-486a06022da8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-acc31b9c-728f-45c2-badf-a7ff0c17059d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-116.45161%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-28fcc80e-ec5c-41d5-b8c1-ec573b39552d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-90e6c3a2-c066-4aa0-8791-54a705802f7e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a334c334-0474-4c89-9f2d-4a998a3f3ac0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-49690e4d-fa10-40f3-a510-c4fb547f463e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.48388%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Ohtani struck his first home run of the season during the Dodgers' 6-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday in Game 2 of the Tokyo Series, so wasting no time recapturing the magic of last season.

[{"selector":"#anim-ccbe4c10-3edb-4b44-ad31-cc6a6c8885d4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3feefa16-03a1-4389-9ec4-fd0f9aa77c92","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2f1d7575-5040-4e3a-8f62-0f4c8bd7df26","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.48388%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Ohtani's first home run of the season generated controversy when it seemed that a spectator meddled with the ball as it descended. The incidence happened in Wednesday's contest's fifth inning.

[{"selector":"#anim-854aed6d-d171-4b8d-9a29-7b3a2873e293","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-771a3ea5-ca94-4ab7-b448-453d17fc846c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-63149f81-9dec-4ea0-a13a-04529f3a7f1c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.48388%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Ohtani took a 99.1 mph fastball from Cubs reliever Nate Pearson out to deep center while the Dodgers were up 5-2. It was doubtful whether the ball went out since it seemed to strike the wall close to the yellow home-run strip.

[{"selector":"#anim-a362b843-08c8-4204-bb0c-6bbfb4ae9305","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cce33526-f5f4-405b-a5c3-ed461ef8fc2d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0d93f8cd-fd42-4ad0-aaa0-9c3871b628a7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 127.77778%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] An umpire indicated home run as Ohtani jogged to second base; the play would be reviewed. Before the ball left the field of play, replays seemed to show a supporter contacting it.

Debating the play, Fox broadcasters Adam Amin and A.J. Pierzynski both suggested that a fan's hand strike the ball.

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Still, the drama proved as expected. With his home shot, Ohtani gave the Dodgers a 6-2 advantage.

[{"selector":"#anim-4be46f4c-9aa8-4b7c-9a76-57bc55819949","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ee62470f-7ddb-4be3-a926-a05de01e548f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d6ea7d46-4169-4018-b9b7-296d50d35b8b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 208.24377%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-d3eb607f-0c28-4ff8-a291-1549b91566f0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5e2c98d2-bf86-4024-ac56-c338a5bcab13","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4273b66e-8153-439f-907e-8fd3b2ea02ba","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 125.3506%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Although it finally had no effect on the game's result, Ohtani's home run may have been disqualified differently. Viewpoints of spectator interference are umpire's calling to judgment.

[{"selector":"#anim-d951815e-e948-472a-a138-b378b6ab577d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f7ca12fe-95b2-497f-8814-0957f6570a5f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c892fa69-16ff-4666-a675-770547334aa0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 120.66459%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] In this case, the umpires most certainly decided the ball was flying over the fence before the fan touched it. The Tokyo Dome's height of the outfield wall meant that the fan failed to stop Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong from making the catch

[{"selector":"#anim-e23f07e9-03ca-4a51-8cc9-afedd56c1c95","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2f384aec-ebca-4b53-891b-43707bb0da81","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c188441d-52b0-4f05-a48e-34e9640592b1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 145.88824%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] thereby posing no risk of Ohtani being ruled out. Umpires finally opted to let Ohtani round the bases; he was either going to be given a double or a home run.

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