Wednesday night wasn’t the first time Shohei Ohtani has stolen the show.
It was, however, the first time he had to snatch the spotlight away from his dog.
On a day fans began lining up outside the Dodger Stadium gates at 8 in the morning, staking out a spot in line to get a bobblehead with Ohtani holding his dog, Dekopin (a.k.a Decoy), in his arms, both owner and pet put on a spectacle in the Dodgers’ 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Dekopin received the night’s first big ovation, delivering the ceremonial first “pitch” by picking up a ball in his mouth and running to home plate — where Ohtani was crouched down like a catcher waiting.