The fallout between Dodgers teammates Shohei Ohtani and Dalton Rushing in the series finale against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Wednesday has become a hot topic. Rushing and Ohtani disagreed over challenges and pitch calls during their third outing as battery mates.
Former big-league manager Joe Maddon discussed the incident during his appearance on Foul Territory. Drawing on his experience managing Ohtani, the former Angels manager offered a straightforward solution to the issue.
“For me, the solution to this is Shohei and Dalton in a room, pitching coach, and manager sitting there. Let’s talk through this. That’s it. It doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that. With Shohei, I even learned to not ask him or tell him what to do during the game. I asked him to walk Matt Olson once, and he waved; he wagged his finger at me in the dugout,” maddon said.
“Then I looked up his numbers against the guy afterwards. He struck him out like 10 out of 14 times. He knew what he was doing. Shohei knows what he’s doing. So it makes the catcher’s job easier. Just follow him. I would get them in a room. I would talk about it very matter of factly again. And of course, Shohei needs to be in charge of this situation. He’s very good at it,” he concluded.
The Dodgers went on to win the series finale against the Twins 4-3, completing a thrilling sweep. Ohtani finished the game with eight strikeouts, gave up two earned runs on five hits, and walked two batters in six solid innings to seal his eighth win of the campaign.
What Did Shohei Ohtani and Dalton Rushing Say About Their Disagreement?
Both players were asked about the incidents in their respective post-game interviews.
“I didn’t do a great job. It’s pretty embarrassing. Thankfully he’s [Ohtani] as good as he is and he can take control of the game. It was an error on my side,. I messed it up,” Rushing said.
“We talk through the hitters in meetings before the game. It’s something we always do and it’s more of the in-game flexibility. Just reading the swings, reading how the hitter is taking their approach during the game, that I see where the adjustment needs to happen. In that sense, I personally realized we just have to be on the same page and communicate throughout the game,” Ohtani said.
The duo will make their fourth appearance as battery mates in the series finale against the Athletics in West Sacramento on Wednesday.
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