"Straight Talk" is a regular feature in which The Sporting Tribune's John E. Gibson offers a full translation of media availability with Dodgers Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. He will also help translate when Lakers star Rui Hachimura and L.A. Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida are asked questions in Japanese.
The job of interpreters in the heat of the moment is difficult without the ability to write down questions and answers and re-hear responses for proper context. That's where John comes in to help. John currently works as a Japanese-English interpreter and covered pro baseball in Japan for about 20 years. His experience as a sports reporter includes stints at The Orange County Register, The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, The Redlands Daily Facts, The Yomiuri Shimbun’s English newspaper in Tokyo and The Epoch Times.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Shohei Ohtani (8-2) and catcher Dalton Rushing fail as a battery in the second inning, with confusion and a passed ball leading to a three-spot for the Twins, but the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers come back to edge the Twins 4-3 as the two-way star resets and recalibrates to pick up the victory. Ohtani works six strong innings, surrendering three runs on five hits and two walks, while fanning eight to see his ERA go to 1.58.
"I just took the initiative to really gameplan and have a plan of attack for each hitter."
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 25, 2026
Shohei Ohtani (W (8-2), 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 8 K, 89 P; 2-5, RBI, R) talks with the media after the #Dodgers 4-3 win in Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/eEIueIy2sr
Q: Shohei, can you just walk us through that second inning? It's clear that there were a couple of motions, maybe some frustrations. Can you just describe what happened there?
Ohtani: Well, in the entire inning, and the first inning, I felt like I was pitching with some hesitancy. And I think that affected the quality of the pitches.
Q: Bouncing back from that inning, though, did it feel like how you finished this game was with a little extra conviction or extra energy or maybe edge to your game?
Ohtani: Well, first of all, I think the fact that I tried deciding the pitch sequencing and selection myself was one of the factors in my pitches improving.
Q: Were you and Dalton (Rushing) having a hard time getting on the same page early in the game?
Ohtani: Well, we have pregame meetings and discuss plans and share information, but it's always possible you have to switch up the sequencing and other things during the game, based on the reactions from the hitters — like the way they stand in the batter's box — and that will change the approach. This isn't the only thing, but we first have to communicate well. And that was the same case in the previous game as well.