Shohei Ohtani homers to lead off NLCS Game 4 for Dodgers against Mets

NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani made his level.

After Ohtani helped cap the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Sport 3 win within the NL Championship Collection with a three-run, eighth-inning homer, teammate Freddie Freeman gave the Japanese star what seemed like some good-natured ribbing.

“Freddie talked to me to be sure that I joined the get together sooner than later,” Ohtani mentioned by means of an interpreter.

So after Ohtani drove Jose Quintana’s second pitch into the New York Mets bullpen in right-center subject in Sport 4, Ohtani aimed a finger on the Los Angeles dugout as he left the batter’s field.

“I used to be ready to do this this time in my first at-bat,” he mentioned Thursday evening after a 10-2 victory gave the Dodgers a 3-1 collection lead and moved then one win from a World Collection journey.

Ohtani took Quintana’s first pitch for a ball, then drove a sinker over the center of the plate 422 toes for his third postseason homer. The probably NL MVP started the evening 0 for 22 within the postseason when batting with no one on base and seven for 9 with two homers and eight RBIs when hitting with runners aboard.

“I feel it was greater for Sho simply getting successful with nobody on base,” teammate Max Muncy mentioned. “Fairly wild numbers.”

Ohanti hit the seventh leadoff homer in Dodgers postseason historical past.

“He simply has a superpower that you simply and me can’t do,” teammate Mookie Betts mentioned this week.

The 117.8 mph drive was the third-hardest-hit postseason house run since Statcast began monitoring in 2015, after Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber in final 12 months’s NLCS (119.7 mph) and the New York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton in a 2020 AL Division Collection (118.3 mph).

“I can’t even hit the ball that tough with an aluminum bat and Shohei is doing it,” Freeman mentioned.

Quintana hadn’t allowed a house run in his earlier eight begins since Aug. 20.

Ohtanti’s postseason stats are quite muted by his requirements: a .235 common, three homers, 9 RBIs, 9 walks and no stolen bases.

He led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs in his first season with the Dodgers after signing a file $700 million, 10-year contract and stole 54 bases to turn out to be the first 50-homer, 50-steal participant. Nonetheless recovering from elbow surgical procedure in September 2023, the two-way star isn’t pitching this 12 months.

Final week’s decisive fifth sport win over San Diego within the Division Collection was the most-watched Main League Baseball postseason sport on file in Japan, averaging an estimated 12.9 million viewers, in keeping with MLB.

Ohtani’s newest house run was hit at simply after 9 a.m. Tokyo time.

“I’m certain it’s not simple for the individuals in Japan to have the ability to watch these video games due to the time distinction.” Ohtani mentioned.

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