Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani high-fives his dog Decoy, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Wednesday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

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Harry How/Getty Images

Los Angeles Dodgers star player Shohei Ohtani, whose career Baseball legend Babe Ruth’s legendary start in professional baseball was overshadowed by his own dog on Wednesday night.

The player’s pup Decoy threw out the ceremonial first pitch before a game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Ohtani carried Decoy — who was wearing his own custom jersey — to the pitcher’s mound, where the dog waited for his owner’s cue to pick up the ball in his mouth before running with it to Ohtani behind the plate. The designated hitter got a high-five from his furry friend and rewarded him with a treat. The play was greeted with loud applause from the sold-out crowd of more than 53,000 at Dodger Stadium.

“I think I was more nervous with the ceremonial pitch than with Decoy,” Ohtani told reporters after the game through an interpreter. “I’m glad everything went well.”

The Japanese player said it took him three weeks to train Decoy, a Dutch Kooikerhondje.

“It was a very special night,” Ohtani said. “I hope to buy him a special snack.”

The 30-year-old pitcher-hitter hopes to make major league history as the first player to hit 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases (he currently has eight on both counts). But his dog will be the first canine to make the ceremonial pitch at a Dodgers game, according to ESPN.

Decoy impressed Dodgers manager

“I was really impressed that the dog was trained that way,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I guess if it’s Shohei’s dog, it shouldn’t be that surprising.”

Decoy made his MLB debut last year when Ohtani revealed his dog’s name after the Dodgers won his second American League MVP title.

“His name is Dekopin,” Ohtani told reporters at the time. “That’s a Japanese name. I thought it would be hard for Americans to pronounce. He has an American name, Decoy.”

“Dekopin” is Japanese for “to touch someone’s forehead.”

The gesture is a popular joke among schoolchildren in Japan, Kyodo News reports.

Decoy’s star turn follows a news-packed summer for a baseball star. Last month, a 13-year-old dog named Layla retired from bat-retrieval duties after six years with the Philadelphia Phillies’ minor league team, the Clearwater Threshers. Her successor, Lucy May, went viral over the weekend for an impromptu bathroom break on her first night back on the job.