Shohei Ohtani became the first Major League Baseball player with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season; the Los Angeles Dodgers star also became the first big-league player to hit three homers and steal two bases in a game
Friday 20 September 2024 07:58, UK
Japanese star Shohei Ohtani has created baseball history after becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a MLB season.
Ohtani reached the historic landmark after becoming the first player to make three home runs and steal two bases in a game, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a playoff-clinching 20-4 rout of the Miami Marlins.
The 30-year-old hit is 49th homer in the sixth inning, his 50th in the seventh and his 51st in the ninth. He finished six for six and set a Dodgers record with 10 runs batted in, while his 51 homers this season broke Shawn Green's franchise record - set in 2001 - of 49
"The individual performance tonight was remarkable," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "With this game of baseball, it was a win for Major League Baseball. I know people all over the globe were watching this game and we're excited to see that they got a chance to witness history."
The Japanese star began the day two homers and one steal shy of the 50-50 mark. Ohtani doubled to lead off the game and then swiped third to get to 50 steals, before stealing his 51st base in the second inning.
Ohtani homered in the sixth off reliever George Soriano, a 438-foot drive to the second deck in right-centre, before his 49th homer put the Dodgers ahead 9-3. His turn came again in the seventh and Ohtani connected with his historic blast, an opposite-field shot over the left-field wall against Mike Baumann.
He was mobbed by his Dodgers team-mates when he reached the dugout, with the crowd of 15,548 continuing to cheer until Ohtani emerged from the dugout. Ohtani faced infielder Vidal Brujn in the ninth and hit his third homer - a 440-foot, three-run blast that highlighted a six-run inning.
"It was something I wanted to get over as quickly as possible," Ohtani said through an interpreter in a televised interview. "It's something that I'm going to cherish for a very long time,"
Ohtani signed his $700m (£525.6m), 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December. The two-way star, who previously spent six years with the Los Angeles Angels, has played exclusively at designated hitter this season as he rehabilitates after surgery a year ago for an injured elbow ligament.
He finished a triple shy of the cycle on Thursday, adding a run-scoring single and two doubles. He was thrown out at third base while trying to stretch his second double into a triple.
Ohtani reached the 50-50 milestone in his 150th game. He was already the sixth player in major league history and the fastest to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season, needing just 126 games. His previous career high in homers was 46 for the Los Angeles Angels in 2021.
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