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Watch Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani striking out Kyle Schwarber in MVP showdown
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- Watch Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani striking out Kyle Schwarber in MVP showdown
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The post Watch Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani striking out Kyle Schwarber in MVP showdown appeared first on ClutchPoints .
In what might be a first in MLB history, the top home run hitter in the National League, in this case, Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber , went up to bat against the second-best home run hitter in the National League, Los Angeles Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani , who just so happens to be one of the best pitchers on a World Series team.
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After taking care of Harrison Badder is short order at the top of the order, Kyle Schwarber , currently sitting at 53 home runs, took the plate against Ohtani, with the two sides having very, very different hopes for the at-bat.
The first ball, Schwarber fouled, knocking a four-seamer out of bounds. Then, Ohtani tried to bait Schwarber on the inside with a pair of off-speed pitches, both of which were called balls. Fortunately, Ohtani got his revenge on pitches four and five, connecting on a pair of sliders that Schwarber simply couldn't track, with the final pitch leaving him out without so much as a swing .
That's one less home run on the board for Schwarber, who added one the previous game off of Anthony Banda , and one more clean strikeout for Ohtani, who was up to four at the end of the fourth inning.
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Widely considered the top two contenders for the NL MVP award, this matchup between Ohtani and Schwarber holds special weight for fans and pundits alike, as it marks the rare occasion where one home run hitter has a chance to directly impact the other. In at least that first at-bat – and the second too – Ohtani got the win, with a chance to join Schwarber in the 50 home run club ever present whenever he steps up to the plate.
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