Shohei Ohtani, back from injury, started for the Dodgers but struck out swinging in a golden bases-loaded chance in the bottom of the 4th, as the team fell 1-5 to the Padres, snapping their 5-game win streak. Starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto also allowed runs to pile up, taking his 9th loss of the season, leaving the team’s playoff seeding still undecided. On 5channel, opinions on the loss were split — some said Ohtani’s strikeout shifted the game’s momentum, others questioned the moment he removed his gear during an ABS Challenge, and still others floated the jinx theory that “the team can’t win when Ohtani’s in the lineup.”
Sports Nippon
[ September 24, 2026, 14:14 ]
NL: Dodgers 1-5 Padres (September 23, 2026, Los Angeles)
Source: sponichi.co.jp / Original article here
When Ohtani's in, the whole team grinds to a halt.
The Dodgers, in unison: "You're a pain for everyone, Shohei Ohtani!"
That's exactly how the postseason script goes
This whole scenario exists for that
Delay the IL stint → come back → lose → back on the IL again
It's the DH who struck out with the bases loaded.
Yamamoto: "Shohei, just lurk forever and never post again." (ROM = internet slang for a silent lurker)
The catcher called an ABS Challenge on the umpire's ball call, but Ohtani jumped the gun on his own judgment, took his gear off, and started heading to first like it was already a walk.
Then the challenge actually succeeded, so he fumbled putting his gear back on, stepped back in, and struck out.
That soured the momentum, Yamamoto fell apart the next inning, and the whole team collapsed.
Total one-bad-apple situation.
Doesn't that risk a pitch-clock violation out?
The ump had already made a ball call, so "jumped the gun on his own judgment" is a bit much
I almost wrote that myself too, then thought better of it
Dodgers with Ohtani: 79-55 (.590)
Dodgers without Ohtani: 17-5 (.773)
Pretty obvious who the problem is…
Kubo in soccer
Which one are you backing?
So the key is just racking up as many at-bats as possible.
But if you're expecting the Ohtani we saw through last year, that might be a stretch for now.
The Dodgers are stacked enough that it works out as a fair handicap anyway.
(Didn't watch the game though)
Striking out with the bases loaded stings
2 strikeouts, including killing a bases-loaded chance
People are still saying this? How out of the loop can you be?
The Dodgers players themselves are probably the happiest about it lol
Is he just a mood-killer or something? ("sagepoyo" — slang for dragging the vibe down)
Maybe it's some kind of "mood harassment" thing where his sulking puts everyone around him in a bad headspace
Unicorn?
Nope, he's a jinx.
Isn't "jinx" the wrong word though?
He's just a regular scapegoat
A "jinx" is someone who puts up good results but the team still loses — that's more like Yamamoto
Ohtani didn't even produce results, so it doesn't fit
and somehow the fanboys start lashing out at everyone else
What's really ugly is pinning the blame on everyone else instead — Tucker's defense, Yamamoto giving up the homer, Freeman going hitless…
But if Ohtani had just gotten a hit with the bases loaded, the momentum shifts and none of that even happens.
I wonder how the postseason roster and contract rules work here. If contract status doesn't matter, does Rushing come off the roster so DePaula can be added?
He can only play DH, so as long as Ohtani's on the roster, there's no room for DePaula. A guy who's only good as a pinch hitter eats into the limited bench spots, so they can't carry him.
Background and Talking Points
A post claiming a huge gap in the Dodgers’ win rate with Ohtani in the lineup versus without him (79-55 vs. 17-5, comment #33) drew a lot of attention, but it’s worth noting this is a small sample from a limited late-season stretch, and likely falls within the range of statistical coincidence rather than anything meaningful. The ABS Challenge is a new system introduced this season that lets teams request an electronic review of an umpire’s ball/strike call, and it’s common to see catchers or batters remove their gear or helmets while waiting for the ruling — some in the thread suggested this may be the moment Ohtani’s focus slipped. Because playoff seeding is directly tied to the NL West standings race, Yamamoto’s 9th loss and this game’s defeat could still affect how the remaining schedule plays out.
※This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[USA] Shohei Ohtani goes 1-for-with-a-hit-and-a-walk in his return game! Strikes out swinging in a bases-loaded chance… Dodgers’ 5-game win streak snapped, Yamamoto takes 9th loss, playoff seeding still up in the air.”
