Dalton Rushing and Shohei Ohtani were not on the same page during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, which led to some issues between them.
Ohtani wanted Rushing to challenge a 1-0 pitch in the first inning when it was called a ball. However, Rushing shook his head and prevented the challenge, even though Ohtani likely would have been correct.
A similar situation came up in the second inning when Ohtani wanted to challenge and made sure to do it this time, even though Rushing was again signaling not to and seemed to yell “no.” Despite Rushing’s clear objections, Ohtani won the challenge.
“I think he did a good job,” Rushing said on SportsNet LA after the game. “I didn’t do a great job, start to finish. Pretty embarrassing. Thankfully, he’s as good as he is, and he can take control of a game. Pretty embarrassing.”
Just two pitches before that challenge, Rushing was also crossed up on a pitch and let the ball get passed him, allowing a run to score.
“Two pitches were called,” Ohtani explained through interpreter Will Ireton. “The first one was offspeed, the second one was fastball. Rush thought he was getting offspeed because I started moving after the first pitch was called. But what I had in mind was the second pitch, which was the last pitch. Which was a fastball.”
Rushing seemed annoyed with Ohtani after the passed ball, but said they discussed what happened back in the dugout. “It was an error on my side,” Rushing said. “I messed it up.”
Even though they cleared the air there, by the third inning, Ohtani was calling his own pitches as Rushing took a back seat in the planning. Ohtani said after the game that he “wasn’t quite convicted in a lot of the pitches” during the first two innings.
“We talk through the hitters in pregame meetings before the game,” Ohtani said. “It’s something we always do, and it’s more of the in-game flexibility. Just reading the swings, reading how the hitter is taking their approach during the game, I see where the adjustment needs to happen.
“In that sense, I personally realized we just have to be on the same page and communicate throughout the game.”
Ohtani went on to strike out the side in the third inning and finished his outing by getting through six innings and allowing just the three runs (two earned).
Dodgers talked with Dalton Rushing during game
After the frustrating few innings for Rushing, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, pitching coach Mark Prior and Freddie Freeman were all seen in the dugout talking with Rushing at different times, both to help calm him down and give him advice.
“It’s great,” Rushing said. “They always have my back. Once again, it’s embarrassing that I need support like that. I’m a grown man. It’s a pretty tough pill to swallow.
“Both sides of the ball, it was not a great showing. Hasn’t been great as of late. I’m going to be better.”
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