The Japanese slugger was introduced before each at-bat to loud roars that continued until a few seconds before the pitch, when the crowd went into a silent trance that’s normally reserved for events like Wimbledon or the Masters.

The response to Shohei Ohtani at the Tokyo Dome on Friday reestablished a longstanding truth about the Dodgers: In Japan’s view, there is Ohtani and then there is everyone else.