Shohei Ohtani shared a funny photo terrified of botched Mets pitch

TL;DR

During a game between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani and catcher Francisco Alvarez reacted in fear when a pitch clock violation was imminent while Craig Kimbrel was on the mound. Alvarez's unexpected mound visit prevented a potential mishap.

When the New York Mets played against the Los Angeles Dodgers, veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel was on the mound to face four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani, who was hit by a pitch from Mets starter David Peterson during the first inning of the game, was facing a 2-2 count from Kimbrel in the sixth inning when something unexpected happened. Even though Kimbrel was already in his windup, Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez realized that Kimbrel was about to face a pitch clock violation if it was delivered.

Rather than face the penalty, Alvarez threw his hands up to do a mound visit. Kimbrel did not immediately notice that Alvarez was no longer in the catching position.

Both terrified, Ohtani and Alvarez had to think on their feet to make sure that neither was hit.

Fortunately, everyone was OK. After the game, which the Dodgers won 4-0 over the Mets, Ohtani even had some fun with the moment.

He posted a hilarious photo of this tense exchange on his Instagram story.

That was SUCH a close call.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Shohei Ohtani shared a funny photo terrified of botched Mets pitch

Q&A

What happened during the Mets vs. Dodgers game involving Shohei Ohtani?

Shohei Ohtani and Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez were caught off guard by a potential pitch clock violation while Craig Kimbrel was pitching, leading to a tense moment on the field.

Who was pitching when Shohei Ohtani faced a pitch clock violation?

Craig Kimbrel was the pitcher for the New York Mets when Shohei Ohtani faced the pitch clock violation situation.

What did Francisco Alvarez do to prevent a pitch clock violation?

Francisco Alvarez raised his hands to signal a mound visit to avoid a pitch clock violation, which surprised both him and Ohtani.