LOS ANGELES -- A metallic thud cut through the music blaring on the speakers and the murmurs of fans filing into the stands. It was quickly followed by gasps and cheers as those in the ballpark saw what caused it.
Shohei Ohtani had just hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium.
Roughly two hours before first pitch of Monday's eventual 9-3 loss to the Giants, Ohtani took the field with a bat in his hands and went on to park several balls in the outfield seats, including one that cleared the Right Field Pavilion roof reminiscent of his two-way performance of a lifetime in Game 4 of last year's NL Championship Series.
It has been 11 games -- since April 26 -- since Ohtani has hit one out of the yard in a game. He has just one home run in his past 111 plate appearances.
Under the lights, Ohtani didn't hit the ball in the air, grounding out to the right side of the infield three times and striking out twice in an 0-for-5 showing. Manager Dave Roberts sees his two-way star trying to "swing out of" his slow start to the season, but instead, he's continuing to scuffle.
"I think the thought is understandable," Roberts said. "But when you're a really dangerous hitter and pitchers are not going to give in to you, then it's really not a good mindset. Because you sort of gotta take what they give you. And so tonight, they clearly weren't going to give in to him."
Ohtani taking batting practice on the field was thought to be about as rare as a blue moon. Last postseason, two days before that incredible Game 4 earned him NLCS MVP honors, he hit on the Dodger Stadium field for the first time anyone could remember. He also took batting practice ahead of the World Series.
"There's some things that I want to be able to do on the field that you can only do on the field," Ohtani explained through interpreter Will Ireton at the time. He didn't go into further detail, but Dodgers hitting coaches noted how being able to see the path of the ball in the air can be beneficial for a hitter searching at the plate.
Roughly one quarter of the way through the 2026 season, Ohtani has already taken on-field batting practice three times. The third time was not the charm, and Ohtani was not alone as his teammates failed to cash in on the opportunities they created against the Giants.
Ohtani has yet to get hot for more than a handful of games at a time, hitting .233 with a .767 OPS and six home runs. He has cooled off even more in his past 17 games, going 12-for-65 (.185) with just four extra-base hits.
By swinging aggressively but only hitting balls on the ground, Ohtani displayed signs of what Roberts views as "over-anxiousness." He was able to drive the ball to all fields during batting practice, but that didn't translate to the game.
"I thought the BP, the intent, was good," Roberts said. "I thought the homers to the big part of the field were really good, and then just in the game, it just sort of reverted back to what it's been."
The Dodgers have no plan to move Ohtani from the leadoff spot in the face of his slow start, but he will get a chance to reset. Roberts said he will either not have Ohtani hit when he starts on the mound on Wednesday or give him a full day off on Thursday.
While Ohtani's struggles have been noticeable at the top of the order, he is not the only Dodger scuffling amid a team-wide malaise at the plate. Dating back to April 21 -- the opener of a three-game set vs. the Giants in San Francisco -- L.A. has been held to four runs or fewer in 14 of 19 games, losing 11 games in that span.
On Monday, the Dodgers came away with little to show for the opportunities they created, going 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranding eight baserunners.
Ohtani is just one piece of L.A.'s star-studded offense, albeit a very important one. The Dodgers know they have to find ways to win games, with or without Ohtani hitting to his capabilities. And they remain confident that they will turn things around as a team.
"We're back-to-back champions for a reason," Max Muncy said. "We find ways to get out of this."