Fans in Shohei Ohtani’s Japanese hometown pack in to watch Game 3 of the World Series

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OSHU CITY, Japan (AP) — Hundreds of fans revenge into a nationalist viewing halfway successful Shohei Ohtani’s hometown successful bluish Japan connected Tuesday greeting — nan state is 13 hours up of Yankee Stadium — to cheer nan country’s apical personage successful Game 3 of nan World Series.

Fans lined up extracurricular nan Oshu City Cultural Center, a 500-seat auditorium, connected a cleanable autumn greeting to watch their section leader successful a unrecorded telecast. They were location an hr earlier nan crippled started.

Many came dressed successful Dodger Blue — caps aliases jerseys — and were supplied pinch various noisemakers, including thunder sticks. The hallway was adorned pinch posters announcing Ohtani arsenic “The Pride of Oshu City.”

Ohtani, playing 2 days aft dislocating his near enarthrosis successful Game 2, drew a locomotion connected his first at-bat. That drew chaotic cheers from nan 250 fans attending, who chanted “Go, Go. Shohei.” Then came moreover much cheers erstwhile nan Dodgers took a 2-0 lead connected Freddie Freeman’s location run.

“He’s much for illustration a Japanese wealth than conscionable a section (treasure),” said instrumentality Hiromitsu Kikuchi. “I deliberation he has passed beyond nan hometown and is much for illustration world-class. We person ne'er had a prima subordinate for illustration this earlier from our hometown.”

Among nan mostly older fans were astir 20 children from nan kindergarten that Ohtani attended. They came equipped pinch mini flags emblazoned pinch Ohtani’s smiling face.

Several fans said they were worried Ohtani mightiness not play but group retired from location erstwhile they sewage nan bully news.

“I came to spot Ohtani because nan tv news reported that he would play,” said instrumentality Tadashi Onodera. “It’s fantastic. We are proud to person specified a subordinate from retired hometown.”

This is nan municipality wherever Ohtani played Little League, starred arsenic a pitcher and hitter astatine Hanamaki Higashi High School, and became nan favourite boy of Iwate Prefecture, a mountainous region abutting nan Pacific Ocean.

His hometown is located astir 300 miles (500 kilometers) northbound of Tokyo, a mostly agrarian spot acold from nan capital, its hundreds of skyscrapers and high-end prosperity.

All eyes astatine nan viewing were connected nan Dodgers superstar — and his near shoulder. His wounded concisely formed a pall and flipped Japan’s temper from magic to morose.

Then came relief. The magic returned arsenic Dodgers head Dave Roberts started Ohtani arsenic nan designated hitter and leadoff hitter successful Game 3, what section fans and each of shot wanted to see.

“I was concerned (about nan injury), but believed it would beryllium okay,” said Masatoshi Honmyo, different section fan. “I would opportunity he is simply a hero.”