Ohtani Apologizes After Pitch Buzzes Canha’s Head
Shohei Ohtani apologized after a pitch he threw narrowly missed Mark Canha's head, sparking a heated exchange with catcher Kurt Suzuki. Ohtani later struck out Canha with a double play, before hitting him with a pitch in a later at-bat. The incident occurred during a game where Ohtani showed his dual threat capability on the mound.
Ohtani Apologizes After Pitch Buzzes Canha’s Head
In a tense moment during the first inning, Shohei Ohtani faced Mark Canha. Ohtani’s initial pitches to Canha were high and inside fastballs, a clear sign of aggression. Canha was eventually walked in that first at-bat, but the real fireworks were yet to come.
The situation escalated in the third inning with no outs and a runner on first. Ohtani started the at-bat with another high pitch. Then, on the second pitch, he threw a high and inside fastball that sailed just a little too high, narrowly missing Canha’s head.
The pitch was so close it startled everyone, with Canha visibly reacting and exclaiming, “Come on, show. Let’s go. Let’s go.
Get that out of here. Stop it. It’s too close.
It scared me. I don’t like it.” This near-miss immediately put the opposing team on edge.
Catcher Kurt Suzuki, fiercely protective of his star pitcher, stepped in. Suzuki felt Canha was showing up Ohtani, who is a younger player in the league.
“Stop showing up my pitcher,” Suzuki yelled at Canha, demanding respect for Ohtani. Suzuki’s strong defense of Ohtani showed the catcher’s loyalty to his teammate.
Ohtani, known for his calm demeanor, tried to de-escalate the situation. He approached Canha, saying, “It’s okay. My bad.
My bad. I’m sorry about it.” Despite Ohtani’s apology, Suzuki continued to voice his displeasure.
Canha, understandably shaken, defended his reaction. “Well, dude, come on. He threw the ball at my head.
I’m allowed to react. I’m allowed to be a little scared because of that. Come on now,” Canha argued, pointing out the danger of the pitch.
The umpire also seemed to acknowledge the unusual nature of the exchange, remarking, “Yeah, it’s kind of funny. How are you?”
With the tension still high, Ohtani asked the umpire for a ball, wanting to continue the at-bat. The umpire handed Ohtani a ball with a splitter grip. Some observers felt this might have been a subtle message from the umpire, perhaps suggesting Ohtani rely on his effective splitter.
The count then went to 3-1, a hitter’s advantage. Canha swung and missed at the next pitch, then fouled another one back. However, Ohtani managed to tie him up with a fastball on the next pitch, striking Canha out.
Suzuki completed the play by throwing Canha out at first, finishing a strike-them-out, throw-them-out double play. Ohtani and Suzuki had successfully turned the tables on Canha.
After the play, Ohtani sarcastically clapped for Canha, saying, “Clap clap clap clap clap for you.” Canha was left disbelieving the turn of events, feeling the entire situation had “sucked all around.” The drama clearly impacted the game’s momentum.
Later, in the sixth inning, Canha came to the plate again. This time, Ohtani’s pitch was a breaking ball that went low and away, but then an inside fastball hit Canha.
However, the earlier tension had already dissipated. Canha accepted the hit by pitch, gladly taking his base, as the earlier incident was now behind everyone.
Ohtani approached Canha again, this time saying, “Hey, see how I reacted? I definitely didn’t mean to hit you.
Also, not a good result for me.” This second interaction showed Ohtani’s consistent attempt to be respectful, even after hitting Canha. The game moved on, with the earlier confrontation seemingly resolved.
The league is gearing up for Opening Day, with major broadcasts planned. Corona will be presenting a pregame show before live streaming every Opening Day game. Fans can tune in for extensive coverage of the season’s start.
Key Takeaways
- Shohei Ohtani apologized after a pitch narrowly missed Mark Canha’s head in the third inning.
- Catcher Kurt Suzuki defended Ohtani, leading to a verbal exchange with Canha.
- Ohtani struck out Canha to end the inning with a rare strike-them-out, throw-them-out double play.
- Ohtani later hit Canha with a pitch in the sixth inning, but the situation was less tense.
- The incident highlights the intensity and personal moments that can occur during baseball games.
Source: Shohei Ohtani was apologetic after throwing a pitch near Mark Canha's head, a breakdown (YouTube)
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