PHILADELPHIA -- Even when he's on the road, Shohei Ohtani tends to garner quite a bit of appreciation from opposing fans. Not at Citizens Bank Park. Not in the postseason.
Already known as a hostile crowd for visiting teams, the sea of red-clad fans in the stands let Ohtani have it well before he even took the mound, booing lustily as he went to the bullpen to warm up and erupting when he struck out to lead off the game, swinging through three straight offerings from Cristopher Sánchez.
Perhaps the Philly fans hoped to exploit the nerves that Ohtani admitted to feeling on the eve of his postseason pitching debut. But as they witnessed on Saturday night, when Ohtani is nervous, it does not mean he is easily rattled.
It wasn't all smooth sailing for Ohtani, who gave up a three-spot i