Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani picked up where he left off at Thursday’s World Baseball Classic, except few people witnessed his skills at the home of the Oakland Athletics.
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They risk struggling at the counters again this season and their first local game, which they still won 2-1, does not bode well. Sure enough, the empty benches were easy to notice at the time of the pre-game player introductions: 26,805 spectators were forecast for the recent Classic MVP’s attendance.
In 2022, the Athletics welcomed an average of 9,849 people to their local games, putting the total at 787,902. They have been the subject of rumors of relocation for a number of years due to the dilapidation of their stadium.
“I think the Mayor of Oakland went to a lot of effort to try to make it work in Oakland. It just doesn’t look like it’s going to work, Major League Commissioner Rob Manfred said on the Mad Dog Unleashed podcast in late October. I think the A’s have cautiously maneuvered to explore the Las Vegas alternative because Oakland isn’t making headway. I think they should look for an alternative.”
Still shines
Returning to Ohtani, he excelled on the mound by hitting 10 strikeouts in six innings. He conceded just two hits and three walks to go with the lead. However, reliever Aaron Loup ruined it by giving up two runs late in the eighth.
On the offensive, the Japanese scored a hit in three at-bats and additionally got a free pass. Third in the offensive role, he was struck twice at the plate.