TLDR 3 line Summary:
- Shohei Ohtani said he was able to pitch efficiently into the seventh inning because, aside from two home runs, he felt his overall performance was solid, though those homers came from mislocated pitches that ended up in hittable spots.
- He acknowledged frustration with not contributing offensively in a close game but agreed with the team’s decision to have him focus on pitching while his hitting form is off.
- He also said his slump isn’t caused by returning to pitching, but rather a normal rough stretch, and emphasized improving his swing quality and consistency to get better results.
The blue responses are our direct translation of Shohei's answers and the
Analyst Notes: |
are our commentary on the interpretation of Shohei's responses. Finally, we finish with a grade of the interpreter.
[Interpreter Grade]: ? See Below |
Kirsten: Shohei, first, let's just start with, you've talked about what to get into the seventh inning for you to just navigate through them be very efficient how did you find just what was working for you and how you were able to get deeper into this game today?
Will: 効率よく7回まで行けたという要因はなんでしょうかと?
Translation: Efficiently pitching into the 7th inning, what is the reason?
Shohei: 取られたのがホームランだったのでそれ以外は良かったですけど逆に一本が一点に繋がるような失投だったのかなと思います。
Translation: I got hit on the homers. Outside of that it was good, but on the other hand it was a bad pitch that led to a hit and a run.
Will: The hits were homers, so in that sense it was efficient but something that um wasn’t an ideal.
Kirsten: What do you think led to the two hits that were the homers? Did you think it was location? Was it execution?
Will: 何が理由としてホームランが打たれた？
Translation: What was the reason for the homerun?
Shohei: どっちも狙ったところと逆だったのでそれに尽きるかなとは思いますけどそれでもファールにならずこうしっかりインゾーンに収められてはいるのでまあ、打ったホームランはもちろん素晴らしかったですし失投は失投でしたけども少しこういいスポットに投げれば違った結果になったのかなと思います。
Translation: Both were opposite of where I wanted, that’s about it I think. I was really avoiding foul balls and getting in the zone but the homeruns were good hits and bad pitches are bad pitches. Maybe if I hit a little better spot, it would have been a different result.
Will: Just really mislocated through to the area, completely opposite of where I was intending too. You know if the execution was better, I think it wouldn't have been a homer, but they also put good swings as well.
Reporter: Shohei, I know you've been very clear about wanting to do what's best for the team and whatever the team decides, but is it hard at all in a tight game like this to not be able to affect it on the offensive side?
Will: チームのことを考えてのそのピッチングだけだと思うんですけども今日みたいにこの接戦の中でパッティングできないっていうちょっと悔しい思いっていうのはありますか?
Translation: Thinking of the team, you are just pitching. Like today, a tight game did you feel bad you could not bat.
Shohei: そうです。まあ、オフェンスま自分も含めて調子良くないのでピッチングに集中した方がいい結果がチームにとって今は出るんじゃないかなという判断だと思いますし自分の状態がよければね、自分が打ってほしいっていう状況になるんじゃないかなと思うのでそこは自分の状態をしっかり上げていくは初めにやるべきなことかなと思います。
Translation: Hm. The offense, myself included, is not good right now. If I focus on pitching, we might get a better result was the decision for now I think. If my condition was better, they would want me to hit I think. That is somewhere I have to improve my condition and start from there I must do that.
Will: You know, I think it's the offense including myself hasn't done a great job scoring runs and if there was a situation where you know if I was hitting well I'm sure the team would want me to pitch and hit as well, but I understand in a situation where, hey, just focus on pitching, you know, turn the page on the hitting I understand that the team is might think like that.
Analyst Notes: Will made it sound like they were abandoning hitting for him which I don’t think anybody thinks. Shohei just mentions self-improvement to be wanted for hitting. |
Fabian Reporter: …offensively and do you think like the return to full time pitching might have played a role maybe the slumping a little bit longer than usual for you?
Will: スランプは続いているはまあそのピッチングに戻った一つの要因なんでしょうかね？
Translation: Did you go back to pitching because of the slump?
Shohei: うーん、どうですかね、まあ あまりそうだとは思ってはないですし時期的にこう陥る時期はもちろんあるのでいいところや悪いところを探りながら入っている期間というのはあまり良くはないものですけどそれでもあんまりここまでヒットが出ないってことはないとは思うのでファーボールを撮りながらもしっかりインフィールインプレイになった時にいい結果が生まれるしっかりとした構えからしっかりとしたスイングが必要かなと思っています。
Translation: Hm. I don’t know. I don’t really think really. Sometimes I get in those times (slumps) of course. Finding out the good and bad times, I get in those times and they are not good. But I haven’t been without a hit like this before. Getting walks and getting balls in field, in play and birthing (getting) good results, I need to have good grip and good swing I think.
Will: Yeah, I think, I don't think so personally that the pitching has been affecting my hitting. But at the same time, it has been a little bit longer than my expectation in terms of the hitting side of things. So, you know, I've been getting on base which is a good thing. I just want to make sure that the quality of balls in play are better and you know It's not ideal that I'm trying to find that in the game but, you know, I just have to continue to do what I'm supposed to do.
Analyst Notes: Fabian with the good question that was not fully translated because obviously this is Shohei’s first full start to a season as a Dodger as a two way player. Will kind of took the micro view. Shohei did mention it was an unusually bad slump for him. The birthing part is a common expression used in Japanese for like creating chances. We say that quite often which might be uncomfortable for Western audiences I suppose. Obviously translating for Shohei would be an opportunity for cultural exchange. I like translating Shohei closer to his voice and how Japanese is structured. |
[Interpreter Grade]: C, not bad. No major errors. Really average really. |
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