Shohei Ohtani has propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers back to the World Series with a two-way performance for the ages.
Shohei Ohtani has propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers back to the World Series with a two-way performance for the ages.
Ohtani hit three mammoth home runs and pitched two-hit ball into the seventh inning, and the Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Brewers out of the NL Championship Series with a 5-1 victory in Game 4 on Friday night.
The Dodgers will have a chance to be baseball’s first repeat World Series champions in a quarter-century after this mind-blowing night for the three-time MVP Ohtani, who emphatically ended a quiet postseason by his lofty standards. Ohtani was named the NLCS MVP essentially on the strength of this one unforgettable game.
« It was really fun on both sides of the ball today », Ohtani said through his interpreter. « As a representative (of the team), I’m taking this trophy, and let’s get four more wins. »
After striking out three in the top of the first inning of Game 4, Ohtani hit the first leadoff homer by a pitcher in major league history off Brewers starter Jose Quintana.
Ohtani followed with a 469-foot blast in the fourth, clearing the pavilion above the bleachers in left field.
Ohtani added a third solo shot in the seventh, becoming the 12th player in major league history to hit three homers in a playoff game. His three homers traveled a combined 1,342 feet.
Ohtani (2-0) also thoroughly dominated the Brewers in his second career postseason mound start, fanning 10 for his first double-digit strikeout game in a Dodgers uniform.
The numbers tell the story. Ohtani is the first player in MLB history to hit two-plus homers as a pitcher in a postseason game, according to ESPN Research. He is also the first MLB player ever with more homers hit (3) than hits allowed (2) in a postseason pitching start and the first player to hit a leadoff homer as a pitcher (regular season or postseason).
