"Thankfully he's as good as he is and he can take control of the game," said Rushing. "It was pretty embarrassing."
Ohtani explained through an interpreter that the difficulty stemmed from a lack of mutual understanding regarding game strategy and hitter approaches.
"It's more of the in-game flexibility, just reading the swings, reading how the hitters are taking their approach during the game, that I see, where you know where the adjustment needs to happen," said Ohtani.
In the third inning, Ohtani took charge by utilizing a PitchCom device on his bicep to dictate the pitch selection directly.
"There's really a couple ways of communicating," said Ohtani.
"One is by words, but the other way to be able to communicate is by example, and just taking the charge and showing Rush what kind of pitching style I'm capable of."
Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the growing pains his rookie catcher is experiencing while adjusting to Major League competition.
"It's a work in progress," said Roberts.
In addition to the defensive challenges, Rushing's offensive numbers have dropped since April, resulting in an 0-for-4 night against Minnesota.
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"There's a learning curve for everything," said Roberts. "He's still trying to find his way in the big leagues, he's trying to perform offensively."
