LOS ANGELES -- As improbable as the Dodgers' start to their title defense has been, there was little doubt around the team that Shohei Ohtani would make something happen on his bobblehead night, the first of four planned for this season.
But Wednesday's series finale against the Braves got off to an ugly start, and it took the Dodgers eight innings to claw their way back into the ballgame. That set the stage for Ohtani, who delivered a walk-off blast to down Atlanta, 6-5, and continue Los Angeles' undefeated beginning to the season.
"When he was coming up, and it’s his bobblehead night -- everyone knew," starter Blake Snell said. "We knew. It’s just what he does."
Said second baseman Tommy Edman: "It's just a question of where he'd hit it."
It was the second walk-off home run of Ohtani's career. The first was a grand slam to secure his spot in the 40-40 club last August. This latest blast helped the Dodgers stand alone in history as the first defending World Series champions to begin the season 8-0.
The quest for 162-0, which is doomed to fail, rolls on.
"I think the credit really goes to Max Muncy to be able to pull through and tie the game," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. "For me, coming into the inning, tied in that last at-bat, it just felt like we really had a good shot to win."
The Braves were in the exact opposite situation, having entered the day winless through their first six contests. So when the Dodgers had Michael Conforto on first and one away in the eighth, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker opted for boldness and brought in closer Raisel Iglesias in the middle of a Will Smith plate appearance for a five-out save.
It did not go to plan. Iglesias walked Smith, who along with Conforto moved up a base on Edman's groundout. Then Muncy made it a whole new ballgame, doubling in a pair to knot the tally at five.
It was a redemptive swing for Muncy, who had used a new torpedo bat in his first three trips to the plate but chose to return to his tried-and-true lumber in the eighth. The Dodgers' third baseman had made two errors in the first two innings, contributing to five unearned runs scoring off Snell -- who wasn't sharp himself, issuing four walks for the second straight start.
It wasn't pretty, and even though the Dodgers chipped away at the lead with homers from Edman in the second and Conforto in the fourth, they also squandered multiple opportunities to rally before coming through late. Manager Dave Roberts referred to the contest as "the worst game we’ve played" in the young season.
"I was dumbfounded with the way we were playing," he said. "I didn’t recognize that club in the first couple innings. And then just dumbfounded we found a way to win that game. We had no business winning that game. But to our guys’ credit, we just kept fighting.”
Los Angeles has had to show its fair share of grit in this season-opening run. The Dodgers have had to come from behind for six of their eight wins, and they haven't been at full strength either, playing without Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman or both in six contests. Freeman missed the entire three-game set against the Braves after aggravating his surgically repaired right ankle by slipping in the shower.
Through it all, the Dodgers have found a way to stay in the win column, and Wednesday's hero was an unsurprising one.
"He's the best player in baseball," Braves third baseman Austin Riley said of Ohtani. "If you make a mistake, you're more than likely going to pay for it. There's a reason why he's the best."
Ohtani's bobblehead, which commemorated his third unanimous MVP Award, created no shortage of early buzz around Dodger Stadium, with fans lining up well before the ballpark opened to ensure they received the giveaway.
The first time Ohtani stepped to the plate, the crowd got an "M-V-P!" chant going, only for him to ground out. So when they rose to their feet when Ohtani came up in the bottom of the ninth, it was the apex of an entire evening of anticipation.
"I said this last year about Sho," Muncy said, "he keeps getting into these situations and moments where you're expecting the unthinkable out of him, and he rarely disappoints. … I wasn't shocked at all. But it's still shocking what he does."