Dodgers sweep Twins as Ohtani shines, catcher mix-up

Shohei Ohtani pitched six innings and drove in a key run at the plate to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Wednesday, completing a three-game road sweep. The win, however, was overshadowed by a tense and costly breakdown in communication between Ohtani and his temporary catcher, Dalton Rushing.

The trouble began in the second inning. With the bases loaded and one out, a severe pitch-calling mix-up occurred. Rushing was expecting an off-speed pitch, but Ohtani delivered a 101.7 mph fastball, the fastest pitch of his major league career. The ball caromed off Rushing’s glove for a passed ball, allowing one run to score. Ryan Kreidler followed with a two-run single, giving Minnesota a 3-1 lead.

Further frustration surfaced during the same inning when Ohtani wanted to challenge a ball call on a pitch he believed had caught the strike zone. Rushing declined to issue the challenge, so Ohtani did it himself. The call was overturned, confirming the pitch was a strike. Following the difficult inning, Ohtani took control of the pitch-calling process for the remainder of his start, entering selections directly into his PitchCom device.