The Japanese superstar hit three towering home runs and struck out 10 batters, leading the Dodgers to a commanding victory at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani, who ended an eight-game home-run drought, became the first player in MLB postseason history to hit three homers and record 10 strikeouts in the same game. Only Boston Braves pitcher Jim Tobin in 1942 had ever hit three home runs in a single game as a pitcher.
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“It was really fun on both sides of the ball today,” said Ohtani, who earned the series MVP honor. “We won it as a team, and this is really a team effort. I hope everyone in LA, Japan, and around the world enjoyed it.”
Ohtani opened the game by striking out three batters in the first inning before launching a 446-foot leadoff homer to right field. He followed with a 469-foot blast in the fourth that cleared the stadium and added a third homer in the seventh to seal the win. He allowed only two hits and no runs over six innings.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman summed up the amazement: “Shohei, oh my God! Sometimes you have to check if he’s real.” Brewers manager Pat Murphy called it “maybe the best individual performance ever in a postseason game.”
The Dodgers now advance to the World Series, where they will face either the Seattle Mariners or the Toronto Blue Jays. Seattle moved within one win of its first-ever World Series after Eugenio Suárez’s go-ahead grand slam lifted the Mariners to a 6-2 victory and a 3-2 series lead on Friday.
