It took nine games for Shohei Ohtani to smash his first home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was expected to happen sooner for a person of Ohtani’s caliber. However, several issues around him might have affected his performance.

Now that he has his first home run, more are expected to follow in the upcoming games. Before taking on the Giants, Ohtani had a small chat with manager Dave Roberts. It turns out that Roberts’ words certainly helped him perform and open up his game.

Roberts told Ohtani to relax, be himself, and not do too much. The little chat seems to have helped Ohtani and the Dodgers to win their final game against the Giants.

“I actually talked to doc this morning and he told me to just be yourself and don’t try to do too much so that really helped me a lot,” Shohei Ohtani was quoted as saying by SportsNet LA after the game.

Shohei Ohtani gets bombarded with sunflower seeds from teammate

Right after Shohei Ohtani smashed his home run making it to the dugout, his teammate Teoscar Hernandez bombarded him with sunflower seeds. Hernandez was celebrating Ohtani’s home run when he threw sunflower seeds over the Dodgers star.

Hernandez was not the only player to celebrate Ohtani’s home run. The entire Dodgers’ squad was happy as they cheered for Ohtani in the dugout. It was a day to remember for the team and a moment to cherish for Ohtani.

The two-way star wanted to savor the memory as he traded the home-run ball with a fan. It was his first in Dodger blue and Ohtani walked up to the fan after the game to trade the ball for two caps and one bat. The lucky fan got to meet one of the best players in MLB as Ohtani requested her personally for the ball.

Shohei Ohtani is energized after his first home run and hopes to continue performing for his team. The 29-year-old holds a batting clip of .270 and an OPS of .750. Ohtani recorded 10 hits, four RBIs, and three walks.

While the numbers might seem less for Ohtani, enough time is left for him to pick up the pace.