The moment was begging for a thunderous swing.
So was the 91-mph fastball that St. Louis Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos had grooved down the middle of the plate.
Last Saturday night, in what could have been his first signature moment as a member of the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani tried to oblige. He saw where the pitch was headed, with the bases loaded and two outs in the 10th inning. He tapped his front toe and uncorked his bat, feeling the ball explode off the barrel with a vicious left-handed swing.
“I thought I hit it well,” Ohtani said through acting interpreter Will Ireton afterward.