Shohei Ohtani lines into triple play as Dodgers try to hold off Padres in close NL West

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters

Often times, Shohei Ohtani's line drives are an asset for the Los Angeles Dodgers. One led to disaster on Tuesday.

In a tie game against the Los Angeles Angels, the Dodgers star lined into a triple play to wipe out a potential scoring opportunity in the sixth inning. The liner was perfectly placed for Angels shortstop Zach Neto to haul it in, stop on second base, then throw out Dalton Rushing at first base.

It was the eighth triple play in Angels history. Ohtani was visibly stunned as the Angels ran off the field, while Rushing appeared to be in some pain after an awkward lunge, though he remained in the game.

Per Statcast, the ball was 86.8 mph off Ohtani's bat and carried a .480 xBA (meaning a 48% chance at becoming a hit based off its exit velocity and launch angle). Theoretically, balls like the ones Ohtani hit have about a 50/50 chance at becoming a hit, which would have likely yielded a run for the Dodgers.

Instead, Neto, a defensive standout at short, made one of the best plays of his career.

The play was badly timed for the Dodgers, who entered Tuesday nursing a one-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West. They managed to erase a couple two-run deficits on their way to a 5-5 tie, but missed an opportunity to take the lead in extraordinary fashion.

At the same time as the triple play, the Padres led the San Francisco Giants 4-1.

The play also happened the same day it was reported that Ohtani and his agent Nez Balelo were sued over a Hawaiian real estate deal gone bad, in which Balelo allegedly clashed with the project's developers after Ohtani signed an endorsement deal in 2023.