大谷おおたに翔平しょうへい 山本やまもと由伸よしのぶ 地区ちく優勝ゆうしょうで何なにを語かたった【一いち問もん一いち答とう】

On the 25th, the Dodgers of Major League Baseball faced the Diamondbacks with the division title within reach. Starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered an excellent performance with six scoreless innings, and Shohei Ohtani hit his 54th home run, tying his personal record. The team won 8-0, clinching their fourth consecutive and 23rd overall National League West Division title.

During the champagne celebration, Otani, soaking wet from head to toe, responded to interviews from the press.

He expressed his joy at winning the district championship, saying, Ive been working hard to reach this point, and answered questions about his enthusiasm for the postseason and other topics.

Here is a Q&A from the interview.

*In the latter part of the article, we have included a Q&A interview with pitcher Yamamoto.

Shohei Ohtani Q&A Q

How do you feel right now? Shohei Ohtani: Everyone has worked hard aiming for this, so I’m glad we were able to finish it off properly in the end.

How do you feel about the first champagne fight of the season? “As I said earlier, this is what we’ve been aiming for, and although the postseason is still ahead, today I want to celebrate properly.”

I enjoyed it, and I hope to do my best again from tomorrow onward. Q

Looking back on your 54th home run, which ties your personal record? That at-bat went well, and since I couldnt get a hit in the previous at-bat at a crucial moment, Im glad I was able to make up for it.

How do you feel looking back on your first two-way season since joining the Dodgers? I got off to a bit of a slow start, but I tried to adjust for the second half of the season going forward.

I want to do my best so that I can handle that job properly. Q

What are your aspirations for the postseason? I’m not sure how things will go yet, but I believe that if each of us does our job, we can definitely win, so I want to do my best.

How did it feel to hit a home run? It felt good.

I was hoping to hit a fly ball to the outfield, so I’m glad I managed to do it. Q

How do you feel about the support from your family and those around you? “Well, of course, I receive support from many people not only at the stadium but also outside of it, so I want to express my gratitude.”

Even now, both on the field and off the field, I continue to be supported by so many different people.

Its not quite there yet, but I want to keep working hard together with those behind-the-scenes people. Q

Is your batting getting better? Yeah, I think its gradually improving little by little.

I think I’m almost at the point where I can catch a good wave.

Are there three more games left? Theres the last one, but I think as long as we prepare properly for it, well be fine.

What’s your impression of this year’s team? “As always, there have been people leaving and there haven’t really been any particularly good periods, but I think we’ve made it this far because everyone has supported each other.”

I dont think that will change in the postseason, and from here on, the teams performance is more important than individual results, so I want all of us to work together as one. Q

Pitcher Yamamoto gave an outstanding performance. What did you say to him? As for Yoshinobu, I think he was the only one who actually kept his spot in the rotation all year and pitched a full season, so I truly believe hes the ace of the team.

In the midst of everyone’s expectations like that, the fact that he pitched so well again today is really something for the team to be happy about as we head into the postseason.

I truly believe I had an amazing season. [Yoshinobu Yamamoto Q&A] Q

How do you feel right now? Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Im really happy because this is something we all accomplished together, and I want to do my best so I can spend the remaining month with these teammates.

How do you feel about your first champagne fight of the season? Its the best. Q

Looking back on todays pitching? I think I was able to enter the game calmly, and even after the score gap widened, I was able to stay focused and pitch well, so I think it was a good performance.

How do you feel about being the only one in the starting rotation who managed to stay in it as a core pitcher? Im glad that I was able to stay healthy and pitch well for the whole year.

Since I had to leave in the middle of the season last year, I’m really glad that I was able to play as part of the team for the whole year this time, and I’m happy that it led to this kind of result for the team.

What are your aspirations for the Wild Card Series? I just want to win, so Ill do my best with everything Ive got.

What do you think about winning the championship in the game you pitched? Well, it just happened to be my turn to pitch today, so I focused on pitching carefully.

Is the taste of the champagne different from last year? “Since I was able to work a lot, it’s the best.” Q

What do you think about surpassing 200 strikeouts? I think the best thing is that Ive been able to consistently throw all my pitches.

I studied the opposing batters thoroughly, and I think I was able to pitch my own game. Q

While being expected to play as the ace, did you feel more fulfilled compared to last season? I always go into the season with my mindset at 100% every year, so that hasnt changed, but being able to perform well throughout the entire year makes me really happy.

What are your thoughts on heading into the postseason with three Japanese players? Roki is back, and Shohei is consistently amazing, so I want to do my job well too. Ill do my best to contribute to the teams victory in any way I can.

What are you most proud of in your performance this year? First of all, Im glad that I was able to perform well throughout the whole year, and I think that led to things like my ERA, strikeouts, and various other results.

I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who supported me in various ways.