Shohei Ohtani Bats Leadoff Against Hard-Throwing Pitcher
Listen to the story
Shohei Ohtani played baseball in America. He batted first in the game. He was the designated hitter. This means he only hits the ball. He does not play in the field.
Ohtani played against a pitcher. The pitcher throws the ball very fast. His fastest pitch was 169.7 kilometers per hour. This is a very fast pitch.
Ohtani got one hit in the game. His team is the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers have four good starting pitchers. Their names are Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sukbal, and Snell. People call them the 'Big Four.'
The four pitchers took a photo together. Many fans came to watch them practice. The fans wanted to see the pitchers throw the ball.
Another Japanese player, Roki Sasaki, also pitched in a game. His game finished with no winner and no loser. This is called a no-decision in baseball.
Vocabulary4 words
- designated hitter
- a player who only hits; he does not play defense
- pitch
- when a pitcher throws the ball to the batter
- starting pitchers
- the first pitchers who play in a game
- no-decision
- a game result where no pitcher wins or loses
Quiz
Answer key
1. Designated hitter 2. 169.7 km/h 3. One
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Shohei Ohtani played baseball in America. He batted first in the game. He was the _____. This means he only hits the ball. He does not play in the field.
Ohtani played against a pitcher. The pitcher throws the ball very fast. His fastest pitch was _____ kilometers per hour. This is a very fast pitch.
Ohtani got _____ hit in the game. His team is the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers have four good starting pitchers. Their names are Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sukbal, and Snell. People call them the '_____.'
The four pitchers took a _____ together. Many fans came to watch them practice. The fans wanted to see the pitchers throw the ball.
Another Japanese player, Roki Sasaki, also pitched in a game. His game finished with no winner and no loser. This is called a _____ in baseball.