Dodgers' Yamamoto Starts as Ohtani Faces Fast Pitcher
Listen to the story
Yoshinobu Yamamoto took the mound as the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a recent Major League Baseball game.
His teammate, Shohei Ohtani, also played in the game, batting in the leadoff spot as designated hitter, meaning he only hit and did not play in the field.
Ohtani faced a pitcher named Mizoirowski, who is known for throwing extremely fast pitches.
During the game, Mizoirowski reached a top speed of 169.7 kilometers per hour, which is one of the fastest pitch speeds in baseball.
Because of his powerful throws, some fans and reporters have nicknamed him a "monster pitcher."
There was strong interest in whether Ohtani could hit well against such a fast-throwing opponent.
In the end, Ohtani recorded one hit in the game.
Meanwhile, another Japanese pitcher, Sasaki, also appeared in a separate MLB game around the same time.
Sasaki's game ended without a decision for him, meaning he did not get either a win or a loss.
These games are part of the ongoing MLB season, where Japanese players like Yamamoto, Ohtani, and Sasaki continue to draw major attention from fans in Japan and the United States.
Yamamoto and Ohtani's performances are closely followed because of their high profile as star players who moved from Japanese baseball to MLB.
Fans are especially excited to see Japanese stars compete against powerful American pitchers like Mizoirowski.
Vocabulary7 words
- starting pitcher
- the player who begins the game by pitching
- designated hitter
- a player who only hits, not plays defense
- pitch speed
- how fast a thrown ball travels
- monster pitcher
- a nickname for a very strong or fast pitcher
- hit
- when a batter safely hits the ball
- decision
- the result showing if a pitcher won or lost
- leadoff spot
- the first position in the batting order
Quiz
Answer key
1. Designated hitter 2. He threw a very fast pitch of 169.7 km/h 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto took the mound as the _____ for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His teammate, Shohei Ohtani, also played, batting in the _____ spot as designated hitter.
Ohtani faced a pitcher named Mizoirowski, known for throwing extremely _____ pitches.
Mizoirowski reached a top speed of _____ kilometers per hour.
Some fans nicknamed him a _____ because of his powerful throws.
There was strong interest in whether Ohtani could _____ well against him.
In the end, Ohtani recorded one _____ in the game.
Sasaki's game ended without a _____ for him.
Fans are excited to see Japanese stars compete against powerful American _____.