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Fans Think Shohei Ohtani Was Mocking Diamondbacks Player With Bat Flip Celebration

Ohtani's celebration of his go-ahead home run was quite similar to a celebratory bat flip from the Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel Jr. earlier in the game. Fans noticed.
Tim Capurso|
Ohtani's home run celebration looked quite similar to Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s from earlier in the game.
Ohtani's home run celebration looked quite similar to Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s from earlier in the game. | Screengrab Twitter @BlakeHHarris

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Los Angeles DodgersArizona Diamondbacks

The Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 14-11 in a thrilling, back-and-forth game that featured plenty of lead changes and theatrics. The Dodgers ultimately prevailed thanks to a six-run ninth inning and some heroics from two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.

Facing Diamondbacks righthander Kevin Ginkel in the top of the ninth, Ohtani broke an 11-11 tie with a 426-foot, three-run home run. Then, in one of the coolest moments this season, the Dodgers slugger flipped his bat and sent his arms skyward in celebration of his clutch dinger.

Not only was Ohtani's home run and ensuing celebration yet another iconic moment for one of the game's brightest stars, but it also may have been the Dodgers star's subtle way of getting payback at the Diamondbacks.

MLB fans think Ohtani was imitating Arizona outfielder Lourdes Gurriel, who had an extravagant celebration of a game-tying grand slam earlier in the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.

First, here's Gurriel's celebration.

Now, here's Ohtani's.

Fans were pretty convinced that Ohtani knew exactly what he was doing by celebrating in such fashion.

Ohtani, understandably, would not say whether his celebration was mimicking Gurriel's, only that Friday's game was an "emotional" affair.

"It was a really great game," Ohtani told ESPN through an interpreter. "It's not the kind of game we play a lot, but for us to score a lot, for them to come back, for us to come back again—it was very emotional."

On the heels of MLB's first 50-homer, 50-stolen base season, Ohtani is off to a fast start. He became the first player in MLB to reach 10 homers and 10 stolen bases and currently ranks third in baseball in OPS (1.063).

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated, primarily covering MLB, college football and college basketball. Before joining SI in November 2023, Capurso worked at RotoBaller and ClutchPoints and is a graduate of Assumption University. When he's not working, he can be found at the gym, reading a book or enjoying a good hike. A resident of New York, Capurso openly wonders if the Giants will ever be a winning football team again.

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