Ohtani delivers greatest playoff night to propel Dodgers to World Series

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LOS ANGELES – Shohei Ohtani delivered a performance that will echo through baseball history for generations. The Dodgers superstar hit three home runs while striking out 10 batters across six scoreless innings to propel Los Angeles into the World Series with a 5-1 victory over Milwaukee on Friday night.

The stunning display completed a four-game sweep of the National League Championship Series and earned Ohtani his first career NLCS MVP award. More importantly, it sent the defending champions back to the Fall Classic for the fifth time in nine years.

According to Sarah Langs, “Shohei Ohtani is the first player with 3 homers and 10 strikeouts as a pitcher in a game.”

A first inning for the ages

Ohtani set the tone immediately. He took the mound and struck out three consecutive Brewers batters in the top of the first. Minutes later, he stepped into the batter’s box as the leadoff hitter and launched a 446-foot solo shot off Jose Quintana.

The blast made history. Shohei Ohtani became the first pitcher ever to hit a leadoff home run in either the regular season or postseason. He also became the first Dodgers pitcher to homer in the postseason.

“Shohei, oh my God,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said after the game. “I’m still speechless.”

The remarkable coincidence added another layer to the moment. Exactly one year earlier, Ohtani had hit a leadoff homer off Quintana in Game 4 of the 2024 NLCS when the left-hander pitched for the Mets.

Ohtani breaking barriers on both sides

Ohtani continued his assault in the fourth inning. He demolished a pitch from reliever Chad Patrick, sending it 469 feet beyond the right field pavilion and completely out of Dodger Stadium.

Brewers catcher William Contreras never turned to watch. Patrick hung his head on the mound. Freeman stood frozen with his hands atop his head in disbelief.

“I don’t know what I saw today,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “That was beyond incredible. I’ve played a lot of games here. I’ve never seen a ball go that far.”

The moonshot made Ohtani just the seventh player to hit a home run out of Dodger Stadium. He joined Mike Piazza as the only Dodgers to accomplish the rare feat.

Between innings, Ohtani kept dealing on the mound. He struck out the side in the second inning. He worked around traffic in the middle frames. He kept Milwaukee’s dangerous lineup completely off balance.

The knockout punch

With the Dodgers leading 3-0 in the seventh inning, Ohtani added the finishing touch. He ripped a 113.6 mph line drive to the opposite field for his third homer of the night.

The sellout crowd at Dodger Stadium erupted. Ohtani had become the first player in MLB history to hit multiple home runs in a game he pitched. No one had ever come close to this combination of dominance.

“Just mouth agape,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “Eyes wide, mouth agape. Just in awe, shock.”

Ohtani’s pitching line matched his offensive explosion. He struck out 10 batters while allowing just two hits and three walks. He exited with two runners on base in the seventh to a standing ovation. Reliever Alex Vesia preserved the shutout.

The performance came at a crucial time. Ohtani had struggled at the plate for much of the postseason. He entered Game 4 hitting just .103 since the Division Series began. Critics had questioned whether the pressure was getting to him.

What comes next

The sweep extended the Dodgers’ playoff dominance. Los Angeles has lost just one game this postseason. The team’s starting pitching has been historically elite. Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Ohtani combined for a 0.63 ERA in the NLCS.

The Dodgers are attempting to become the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the Yankees won three straight titles from 1998 to 2000. They captured

The World Series begins next Friday. The Dodgers await the winner of the American League Championship Series. Seattle holds a 3-2 lead over Toronto heading into the weekend.

Los Angeles will have a week to rest and prepare. Ohtani will have time to reflect on a night unlike any other in baseball history.

“We won it as a team and this is really a team effort,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “I hope everybody in LA and Japan and all over the world can enjoy a really good sake.”

The performance may be remembered simply as “The Ohtani Game.” No pitcher has ever combined power and precision quite like this. No player has ever dominated a winner-take-all playoff atmosphere with such complete mastery.

The Dodgers are four wins away from repeating as champions. With Ohtani performing at this otherworldly level, the rest of baseball should be very concerned.

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