Cincinnati seeing red as Ohtani’s walk-off hit gives the Dodgers a 3-2 win in 10th inning thriller.

Los Angeles Dodgers #17 Shohei Ohtani celebrating his walk-off homerun game-winner. Photo by Rashad Griffin/TGSportstv1.

LOS ANGELES, CA – It was an epic Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium as Shohei Ohtani hit his first walk-off wearing Dodger Blue as the Los Angeles Dodgers (32-17) beat the Cincinnati Reds (19-28) in the finale of a four-game homestand.

It was Ohtani’s first game-winner in nearly four years and only the second walk-off in his career.

“He has a unique delivery. I was just looking to put it in play,” said Ohtani of pitcher Alexis Diaz. “I’m glad it worked out well.

Dodgers’ pitcher Landon Knack (1-1) displayed excellent command on a variety of pitches before being pulled after four and two-thirds innings giving up one earned run while striking out five. Hunter Greene (2-2) pitched six innings for the Reds giving up two runs while striking out eight in front of his hometown Los Angeles crowd. 

“I felt like I had all four (pitches) going, especially my curveball,” said Knack. “That was the best it’s been in a long time. I really kind of had all of it going but the curveball curved.”

In the Dodger's first at-bat of the game, Mookie Betts took an 88-mph slider from Greene deep into the left field warning track to fly out. The hard-throwing Reds pitcher then struck out Ohtani on four pitches. The star slugger went down swinging on three four-seam fastballs all nearly triple digits on the radar gun. Freddy Freeman struck out last for the 1-2-3 inning.

The Reds hard-throwing hurler was born and raised in SoCal, with Greene learning how to pitch locally in the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton before playing his high school ball for Notre Dame in Sherman Oaks. He was throwing over 101 mph during his high school days so velocity has always been one of his specialties.

In the second inning, Jason Heyward hit a 100-mph fastball off of Green that was a laser to second base. Jonathan India dove to the ground delivering a web gem snagging the ball, rolling, and firing to first base as the 34-year-ol Heyward hustled, sliding face first into the base, a split second too late as he was called out.

The pitcher’s duel was scoreless until the fourth inning when Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages took a slider 357 feet over the leftfield wall. The two-run blast also scored Freeman giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.

“He’s a really good pitcher, we know he throws hard,” said Pages about Greene. “I was just looking for a fastball, luckily I got that pitch and I hit it out.”

The next inning the Reds responded with Stuart Fairchild doubling to left. Two swings later Santiago Espinal doubled scoring Fairchild cutting the lead in half, 2-1. Dodger manager Dave Roberts responded by immediately going to his bullpen with reliever Ryan Yarbrough who recorded the final out of the inning.

In the top of the seventh inning, Yarbrough walked India to start the inning. Fairchild attempted a sacrifice bunt to advance India to second base but a miscommunication on the Dodgers' part led to a costly mistake. While fielding the bunt, Yarbrough turned and threw a no-look ball to a completely empty first base. The ball rolled into the outfield with both Reds players making it to second and third bases easily on the error.

After getting the next batter out the Dodgers intentionally walked the bases full in hopes of a double-play ball. The Dodgers brought in Alex Vesia hoping to induce a double-play but instead, he walked in a run tying the game 2-2 before getting out of the inning.

Ohtani electrified the crowd in the bottom of the eighth inning as he moved like lightning, legging out an infield single. That effort from the six-foot-four, two hundred-ten-pound power hitter, brought Dodger Stadium to its feet in applause and appreciation for his hustle.

Bullpen drama surfaced in the top of the ninth inning when pitcher Blake Treinen entered the game for the Dodgers. After getting his first two batters to line out, he gave up consecutive singles bringing Elly De La Cruz to the plate. After a wild pitch advanced both runners into scoring position on second and third base, nervousness began to creep into the stands with the Reds superstar at the plate.

Treinen made amends digging deep into his bag throwing an absolutely filthy slider, down-and-in, that slid from over the plate to De La Cruz’s ankles. The movement mystified the Reds young star who wasn’t able to fully check his swing in time as he took his fourth strikeout on the night.

It was a rough day for the Dominican speedster who was kept in check this series after his sensational four-hit, four stolen bases start in their opening game win in front of a capacity-filled stadium thanks to the Ohtani Bobblehead giveaway promotion. 

In extra innings, the Dodgers wasted no time putting new arrival Anthony Banda to work. With speedster De La Cruz starting the inning on second base as the Ghost Runner, Banda had to balance keeping him from stealing as well as getting out the side. After striking out his first batter, he got a pair of grounds outs to leave De La Cruz stranded on second.

“To have Elly on second base, nobody out, extra innings and to keep him at bay was one part of it,” said Roberts. “And then to go out there and still make pitches and keep them at zero was impressive. So just a really good performance by Anthony.”

The top of the tenth got off to a bad start with Kike Hernadez bunting a ball that slid higher than he expected, which was caught for an out in foul territory. Mookie Betts followed that with a flyout leaving the ghost-running Heyward trapped on second base with two outs. 

With the weight of the world on his broad shoulders, he battled against Diaz. After taking a 95-mph strike looking on his first pitch of the at-bat, he fouled off three of the next four pitches. On his sixth pitch; the fourth four-seam fastball of the at-bat, Ohtani put his barrel squarely on the ball slapping it into right field, driving in the winning run.

As the stadium erupted in celebration Ohtani’s teammates showered him with water bottles before drenching him in the face with a full jug.

Banda was credited with the three-out win, especially impressive knowing he was activated by the Dodgers four hours before the game and was traded to Los Angeles for cash less than 48 hours ago from the Cleveland Guardians.                              

“I’ve probably slept 12 hours in the past three days,” said Banda. “It’s been a hectic ride as far as that.”

The Dodgers took three out of four games against the Reds and are currently eight wins ahead of the second-place Padres in the NL West.

Los Angeles will hosts the Arizona Diamondbacks (22-25) on Monday at Dodger Stadium in Game One of a three-game set against Arizona before heading to Cincinnati to take on the Reds again on Friday.