Shohei Ohtani made a significant impact in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Game 4 victory over the New York Mets in the NL Championship Series, hitting a three-run homer in the eighth inning, which helped secure a 10-2 win. This victory put the Dodgers one step closer to reaching the World Series, leading the series 3-1.
Ohtani’s powerful hit came off Jose Quintana’s second pitch, sending the ball 422 feet into the right-center field bullpen. He acknowledged teammate Freddie Freeman’s playful encouragement to contribute earlier in the game. “I was able to do that this time in my first at-bat,” Ohtani remarked after the game.
Before this game, Ohtani had struggled in the postseason, starting 0 for 22 when batting with no one on base, but this time he broke that streak by delivering a leadoff homer. His teammate Max Muncy commented on the importance of this hit, highlighting Ohtani’s exceptional postseason performance statistics.
The homer was noted for its impressive speed, hitting 117.8 mph, making it the third hardest-hit postseason home run recorded since Statcast tracking began in 2015. Ohtani now holds the distinction of hitting the seventh leadoff homer in Dodgers postseason history.
Despite his brilliant regular season, where he led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs, Ohtani has seen less success in the postseason, holding a .235 batting average with three homers and nine RBIs. After undergoing elbow surgery in September 2023, he is not participating as a pitcher this year.
Ohtani’s performance continues to attract attention, even internationally. The previous week’s decisive Division Series game against San Diego became the most-watched MLB postseason game in Japan, averaging approximately 12.9 million viewers. Ohtani’s latest home run was hit at around 9 a.m. Tokyo time, and he expressed understanding of the challenges faced by fans in Japan trying to watch the games due to the time difference.