Shohei Ohtani showcased his talent during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Game 4 victory over the New York Mets, solidifying their lead in the NL Championship Series. After hitting a three-run homer in Game 3, Ohtani received friendly banter from teammate Freddie Freeman, who encouraged him to contribute earlier in the game.
In Game 4, Ohtani responded by hitting a home run off Jose Quintana’s second pitch, sending it 422 feet into the Mets’ bullpen and signaling to the Dodgers’ dugout as he rounded the bases. This hit marked his third homer of the postseason and came at a crucial moment, helping the Dodgers secure a 10-2 win and take a 3-1 series lead.
Ohtani’s performance was particularly notable as he had been struggling earlier in the postseason, going 0 for 22 when no one was on base. He achieved a significant milestone by hitting a leadoff homer, becoming the seventh player in Dodgers’ postseason history to do so. In addition to his homer, he walked three times and scored four runs.
His drive was recorded at 117.8 mph, making it one of the hardest-hit postseason home runs since Statcast began tracking in 2015. Freeman marveled at Ohtani’s power, noting the difficulty of replicating such feats even with an aluminum bat.
Despite some struggles this postseason, Ohtani led the National League with 54 homers and 130 RBIs in his first season with the Dodgers after a groundbreaking $700 million contract. While he is not pitching this year due to recovery from elbow surgery, his presence is still significant.
Ohtani’s home run came at a challenging time for fans in Japan, as the game aired around 9 a.m. Tokyo time. He acknowledged the difficulties faced by Japanese viewers due to the time difference.