Even for the casual Dodger fan, Wednesday afternoon’s highly anticipated match-up between Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw and Angels Japanese superstar two-way player Shohei Ohtani was just plain fun.

It came in the third inning at Tempe Diablo Stadium, the spring training home of the Angels of Anaheim, with Kershaw having faced the minimum number of batters through his first two innings of work thanks to a pair of inning-ending double plays.

To that point, the three-time National League Cy Young award winner, seven-time All-Star, five-time ERA champion, former Gold Glover and Silver Slugger, and 2014 NL MVP had made only 23 pitches when Ohtani stepped to the plate as the Angels designated hitter to lead off the bottom of the third inning.

The Dodgers ace started off by throwing the left-handed-hitting Ohtani a pair of fastballs that missed; one outside and the other low. Down 2-0 in the count, Kershaw had no choice but to came back with two more fastballs, both of which Ohtani fouled off.

And then it happened.

On a 2-2 count, the crafty left-hander came in with what Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully affectionately called “Public enemy number one” – a knee-wobbling slow curveball that started out looking like it would go over the backstop, only to break down and across the plate at the knees for strike three looking. Like so many before him, the 23-year old Oshu, Japan native honestly thought that Kershaw’s signature curveball had missed.

It did not.

Instead, veteran home plate umpire Bill Miller wrung Ohtani up … and did so with absolute conviction.

As we all know, it’s not where the catchers catches the ball. it’s where it crosses the plate; and there is zero doubt that Kershaw’s “Public enemy number one” crossed the plate at Shohei Ohtani’s knees.
(Video capture courtesy of Fox Sports West. – Click on image to view video)

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to hit it the next time he throws to me, but I was kind of expecting it with two strikes,” Ohtani told reporters through an interpreter after the game. “I thought it was kind of low so I decided to take it. Next time I’ll try to at least foul it off.”

As you might expect, Kershaw had a slightly different take on the much-anticipated (and much-publicized) match-up.

“I fell behind him 2-0, had to throw two fastballs that he fouled off,” said Kershaw, after his three-innings of work. “So, I had to throw four straight fastballs and felt I had to throw something a little slower.”

Hence, “Public enemy number one.”

Kershaw was also asked if he is disappointed that Ohtani had chosen to sign with the Angels instead of the Dodgers, who had also made a strong play for the unique hitting pitcher.

“I could care less now,” answered Kershaw. “He didn’t pick us. Good luck to him.”

So there.