Shohei Ohtani quiets Blue Jays fans with historic single
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Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani heard boos from the Toronto Blue Jays faithful when he entered the batter’s box at Rogers Center to start Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday night, but he ended up making history.
Ohtani singled out Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer to start the game, which silenced the crowd briefly. He became the first World Series starting pitcher in five decades to record a hit while starting Game 7.
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Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers is safe at second on a hit by Will Smith against the Toronto Blue Jays during Game 7 of the baseball World Series in Toronto on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
The last time a pitcher recorded a hit while starting a Game 7 in the World Series was in 1975, when Cincinnati Reds star Don Gullet and Boston Red Sox starter Bill Lee recorded a hit.
If he gets a second hit, he will be the first pitcher to accomplish the feat since Dizzy Dean in 1934.
Scherzer settled in and retired Will Smith, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts after the single.
Ohtani managed to finish third but could not score.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during Game 7 of the baseball World Series in Toronto on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
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The Dodgers star was also on the mound during the three-day rest, as Los Angeles was hoping for Hollywood to end up despite a unique rule that could prevent him from taking the bat and taking the mound in the same game.
MLB instituted a rule that if a starting pitcher is in the batting lineup, he can continue to hit despite being taken off the mound; this is a rule that allows Ohtani to remain in the game after being removed as the starter.
However, if Ohtani started the game as the team’s designated hitter and later moved into the game in relief, they would risk losing his strong bat in the lineup while he came out as a pitcher.
The only way for Ohtani to stay in the game after being used as a relief pitcher was to do something he hasn’t done much of in his career and pitch. The three-time MVP has pitched just 8 1/3 innings in his career and hasn’t done so since 2021.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers greets his teammates at the bullpen before Game 7 of the baseball World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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With all this in mind, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts started Ohtani on the mound and made sure he could keep his bat in play no matter how many pitches he threw. It’s unclear how deep Ohtani will enter the game.
Fox News’ Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.
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