Ohtani unleashes 101.7 mph fastball in third start for Dodgers
Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani threw the fastest pitch of his career on Saturday, firing a 101.7mph fastball in the first inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers' 9-5 loss to the Royals in Kansas City.
Ohtani pitched two innings for the first time since he returned to the mound this month after a near two-year absence in the wake of elbow surgery.
With one out in the first he gave up a line drive single to Bobby Witt Jr then walked Maikel Garcia.
Ohtani then went up two strikes against Vinnie Pasquantino -- on a 99.2 mph fastball and a 100.2 mph fastball, Pasquantino finally grounding into a double play off Ohtani's blistering 101.7 mph four-seam fastball -- the fastest pitch by a Dodgers hurler this year.
Ohani retired three straight batters in the second and finished with 27 pitches, 20 of them strikes.
At the plate, Ohtani struck out twice before he was taken out as pitcher, finishing the day 0-for-4.
Ohtani, the reigning National Legue Most Valuable Player, returned to the mound this month for the first time since August 2023 -- when he tore elbow ligaments pitching for the Los Angeles Angels.
He has starred with his bat since joining the Dodgers on a 10-year, $700 million contract in December 2023 but the team have taken a careful approach to his return to the mound.
He has now pitched four innings in three outings this season with Saturday's start his first on the road.
© 2025 AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
4 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Interview with Rikako Ikee / Swimming Star Wants to Leave Pool Knowing She Did Her Best
In one of the most remarkable and inspiring stories in Japan sports history, swimming star Rikako Ikee battled back from leukemia to not only compete again, but qualify for the both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. The 24-year-old Tokyo native and Japan record-holder in five individual events made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games, then made her first major splash in the sport at the 2018 Asian Games, where she became the first Japanese swimmer in history to win six gold medals. But in February the following year, she was diagnosed with leukemia and underwent a long, grueling recovery. To the shock of the sports world, she returned to competition in August 2020, and made Japan's team to the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 in the relays. She earned a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 100-meter butterfly, but did not advance past the semifinals. Later this month, Ikee will serve as captain of the Japan women's swimming team at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. In an interview with Yomiuri Shimbun Sports Writer Satoshi Morii, she talked about her prospects for a first ever world medal and her long-range goals regarding the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The following are Yomiuri Shimbun: What do you think about the World Championships? Rikako Ikee: Looking at my time in the 50-meter butterfly (25.41 seconds) at the Japan championships in March, I think I might have a chance for a first medal. It's just a matter of doing it. I have to keep building up year by year in the three years up to the Los Angeles Olympics. I think it also is important for me to enjoy swimming this year. Yomiuri: What would a medal mean? Ikee: Of course I want one, but fate has been against me. In 2019, I was in the mix for the No. 1 or 2 world ranking, but I became sick. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, I ended up just participating. I'm now among the top in the world in the 50 butterfly, but it is a difficult event in which you can fall short just when you think you're doing well. The key is not to try too hard. If I can do that, I can see a medal. Yomiuri: The 50 butterfly has been added to the Olympic program. Ikee: More than being happy about that, I feel a sense of obligation because it will draw everyone's attention. I'm ranked among the world's best, but I cannot afford to let my guard down even for a moment. Yomiuri: What are your thoughts on the Olympics? Ikee: I think I'm the only one who has experienced such different Olympics. At the Rio Olympics in 2016, I was a first-year high school student on my way up, and the Games was a dazzling event. I never thought I would be at the Tokyo Games, but I was in the relays. At last year's Paris Olympics, I wanted good results in individual events, but I was made painfully aware that the world is not so easy. I think I have a deeper experience of the Olympics than anyone else. When I was a high schooler, I thought I would win a gold medal at the Olympics. The illness prevented that from happening, and I realized the importance of the Olympics and how difficult it is. Being an Olympic athlete sounds cool, but I do not want to end my career as just a participant. Yomiuri: You said you would bring your career to a culmination at the next Olympics. Ikee: I want to finish with results that make me feel I have done my best in my swimming career. I have decided to retire no matter how I do. I want people who support me to think, 'She did her best,' not only in the 50-meter butterfly, but also in the 100-meter race. I only have a few years left, with only so many competitions. I need to deal with it and cherish it more. Yomiuri: In September last year, you announced that the leukemia had gone into complete remission. Ikee: I was sure everything was fine because I felt good, but every time I went for my annual checkup, I thought, 'Please don't let it come back.' Even after returning to competition, it was tough. I had to face the reality that went from No. 1 in the world to being unable to swim. Why me? What did I do wrong? That's all I could think of. There was a time when I couldn't perform well, and I looked for flaws and said only negative things. Now I have changed to a positive mindset. Yomiuri: You moved your training base to Australia in the autumn of 2023. Did that have a big effect? Ikee: I'm living each day to the fullest, so that I have no regrets. I am trying out different things, such as changing my training. I can speak English a little now, and this has shortened the communication gap with other athletes. In May, I went by myself to compete in a European meet. It was tough, but it was an experience I could have only because of what I went through. As my career winds down, I want to continue having such experiences and interacting with others, and make friends from around the world.
Tokyo Weekender
14 hours ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Nicholas Tarasenko Aiming To Become Second British Professional Sumo Wrestler in History
In 1989, Great Britain's Nathan John Strange became the first ever professional sumo wrestler from Europe. Fighting under the ring name Hidenokuni , the London-born wrestler garnered quite a followin g. After his second tournament, he was p romoted to the fifth jonidan division of the sport . However, h is stablemates treated him harshly as they weren't too pleased with the attention he was getting. As a result, he retired within a few months. Since then, there have been no professional British sumo wrestlers. Looking to change that is Nicholas Tarasenko, a 15-year-old student from Hull city. List of Contents: Nicholas Tarasenko Joins Minato Stable Lofty Ambitions Related Posts Nicholas Tarasenko Joins the Minato Stable Earlier this month, after he finished his GCSE exams, the 187-centimeter-tall teenager left his hometown in Yorkshire to head to Japan. He has joined the Minato-beya in Saitama Prefecture, which is led by Minatofuji, who reached the rank of maegashira 2. The stable's most successful wrestler to date was Ichinojo from Mongolia, who was promoted all the way to sekiwake and won the top division championship in July 2022. It will be some achievement if Tarasenko can achieve anything like that, but he has already shown a lot of potential. Having spent years practicing judo and playing rugby, the youngster made his sumo debut two years ago in Estonia during a trip to visit his grandmother. His Estonian-born father had connections with Baruto , who reached sumo's second – highest rank of ozeki . Baruto hosts a sumo tournament for people aged under 18 , which Tarasenko decided to join. He went on to win the 90-kilogram class gold despite only having had one hour of sumo training prior to the competition. He was also four years under the age limit. The following year, he was invited to train at the Minato-beya . Lofty Ambitions An ambitious young man, he has already joked about making his mark in the sport. Speaking to The Japan Times ' John Gunning last year, he said with a smile, 'I'm trying to get past yokozuna — see if I can become so good that they make a new ranking. You always gotta aim high.' He added, 'There's more pressure on me to be the best because it's one foreigner per stable and if I don't do my best, it feels like I'm disrespecting everyone that was helping me as well, so now I have to become the best. I can't settle for less.' If Tarasenko passes his Japanese exams, he could make his professional debut as early as the spring basho in Osaka next March. British fans of the sport will be excited to see how he progresses. Sumo first appeared on television in the UK in the 1960s when the BBC broadcast segments on Japanese culture and sports. Its popularity reached its peak between 1988 and 1992 thanks to the program, Channel 4 Sumo . During that period, London's historic Royal Albert Hall hosted a five-day tournament. The 154-year-old Kensington venue will be hosting its second sumo competition in October 2025. Related Posts The Greatest Sumo Rivalries of All Time | List of 7 London To Host First Overseas Sumo Tournament in 20 Years A Guide to Sumo in Tokyo
Kyodo News
2 days ago
- Kyodo News
Sumo: Onosato aims to buck trend, win Nagoya meet in yokozuna debut
KYODO NEWS - 1 hour ago - 13:53 | Sports, All Newly promoted Onosato said Monday he aims to win the upcoming Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament as a yokozuna debutant and add his name to the small group of wrestlers to achieve the feat. The 25-year-old star will compete for the first time as a grand champion at the 15-day tournament opening July 13 at the new IG Arena. Of the 30 previous wrestlers promoted to yokozuna, just six won their first grand tournament at the sport's highest rank. "It's not something that everyone does," said Onosato, speaking at a press conference at his Nishonoseki stable's base near Nagoya. The Ishikawa Prefecture native will also be under the spotlight as the first new Japanese-born yokozuna since his stablemaster, the former Kisenosato, debuted at the top rank in March 2017. Onosato went 9-6 as a sekiwake last July in his only previous Nagoya meet as a member of the elite makuuchi division. "I don't have good memories of the Nagoya tournaments over the past two years," he said. "If I can achieve good results here, I think I'll be able to feel that I've become stronger." While his stellar performance in the ring, culminating in his yokozuna promotion, has made him the talk of the sumo world, Onosato says he has not been affected by the attention. "Nothing has changed, including my life away from sumo," he said. "I want to stay the same person I've always been." He continues to cherish his connection with Ishikawa, especially his hometown of Tsubata, which was hit hard by the Jan. 1, 2024, Noto Peninsula earthquake. The town held a parade on Sunday to celebrate his yokozuna promotion. "I got a lot of energy from it," he said. "I hope it's reflected by my performance in Nagoya. I want to energize Ishikawa Prefecture by continuing to succeed."
