Former Reds catcher just embarrassed Shohei Ohtani in the most bizarre way possible

Former Cincinnati Reds catcher Jhonny Pereda just did something few pitchers are able to accomplish — he struck out Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. While Pereda's rare feat came in a blowout loss, the Athletics' backstop can now put that ball on the mantle and cherish it forever.

Before we get into the specifics of the event, many Reds fans may not even recall the name Jhonny Pereda. The 29-year-old signed a minor-league deal with Cincinnati prior to the 2023 season and spent the entire year at Triple-A Louisville. He hit .325/.405/.468 in 68 games for the Louisville Bats that season, but was never called up to the big leagues.

Pareda made his major league debut with the Miami Marlins in 2024 and after being desingated for assignment in January, was traded to the Athletics. He broke camp with the A's this season and has been the backup catcher to Shea Langeliers. Pereda is hitting just .188/.257/.219 on the season, but was called up to pitch in the eighth inning with the Dodgers leading the A's 16-2.

Former Reds catcher Jhonny Pereda just embarrassed Dodgers' superstar Shohei Ohtani

According to MLB rules, when an opposing team is trailing by eight or more runs, position players are allowed to pitch. After being trampled for the better part of seven innings and facing a 14-run deficit, A's manager Mark Kotsay turned to Pereda in the eighth inning.

As is the case with most position players who pitch, Pereda doesn't possess an electric fastball or a hard-breaking slider with 10 inches of horizontal break. His first offering of the night to Dodgers' rookie Dalton Rushing missed inside, off the plate, at a cool 44.3 mph. After three straight hits, including an RBI double off the bat of Hyeseong Kim, Ohtani stepped into the batters' box

Ohtani took the first pitch down and in at 62 mph for strike one. Pereda missed high and outside with the next pitch, and after two consecutive foul balls, the count ran to 1-2. Pereda reached into his bag his tricks with the next pitch and the backstop delivered an 89-mph four-seamer at the top of the strike zone that got Ohtani to swing and miss. Strike three! You're out!

The Dodgers' broadcast team was in shock. Dodgers' play-by-play voice Joe Davis didn't know whether to spit or wind his watch. "Oh my gosh," David exclaimed. "Jhonny Perada could retire tonight and still have a wonderful story to tell."

After tossing the ball around the horn, once Pareda received the ball back in his glove, he tossed it into the A's dugout for safe keeping. He'd go on to allow two more runs before getting out of the inning, but striking out the biggest star in baseball is a memory the former Reds catcher will never forget.

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