Inside The Dodgers

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Makes Marlins Fan Change Allegiances After Dominant Performance

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) rounds third base after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins in the sixth inning at loanDepot Park.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) rounds third base after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins in the sixth inning at loanDepot Park. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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A Miami Marlins fan who was subjected to watching his team's 10-1 loss to the Dodgers at loanDepot Park on Wednesday lasted until the sixth inning — as a fan of the team.

This sixth-inning triple by Shohei Ohtani was the last straw:

The video angle showing the section of fans sitting closest to third base captured one fan's moment of conversion to the gospel of Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Keep your eye on the upper-left of the frame:

The fan ostensibly arrived in a vintage pinstriped teal Marlins jersey. The sight of Ohtani pulling up into third base with his MLB-leading fourth triple of 2025, and doing a celebratory dance for his teammates, allowed him to see the light. The jersey couldn't come off quickly enough.

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Really, who can blame the former Marlins fan for converting?

The Dodgers took two of the three games from the Marlins in the series, improving their record to 25-12, the best in Major League Baseball.

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The Marlns, meanwhile, are in the midst of another losing season. They're currently 14-22, the third-worst record in the National League, and fifth out of the five National League East teams.

Ohtani's triple put the cap on another series to remember in Miami. He went 4 for 11 in the series. All four hits went for extra bases, giving him an impressive .364/.500/.955 slash line in May.

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The Marlins have had two winning seasons in the last 15 years. They've won two championships in their franchise's history, which dates to 1993. The Dodgers have won two championships this decade.

For one fan at least, Wednesday was as good a time as any to switch allegiances.

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Ohtani's strong series was not even his most captivating performance in Miami.

In what was instantly hailed as one of the greatest individual games in baseball history, Ohtani went 6 for 6 with three home runs and two stolen bases, obliterating the Dodgers’ single-season home run record and becoming the first member of baseball’s 50-50 club in the process. Ohtani drove in half of the Dodgers’ 20 runs, becoming the 16th player in history with 10 RBIs in a single game.

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In the 2023 World Baseball Classic final at loanDepot Park, Ohtani delivered a clutch save, striking out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout to secure Japan's 3–2 victory over the U.S.

Ohtani's all-around excellence at the WBC, highlighted by a .435 batting average and a 1.86 ERA across his pitching and hitting roles, earned him the tournament's most valuable player award.

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.


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J.P. Hoornstra
J.P. HOORNSTRA

J.P. Hoornstra is an On SI Contributor. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time, published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.

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