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Shohei Ohtani officially stands alone in the baseball history books.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star became the first player in MLB history to post at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season Thursday, following an explosive three home-run outing against the Miami Marlins.
SHOHEI OHTANI HAS DONE IT
50 HOME RUNS | 50 STOLEN BASES
HISTORY pic.twitter.com/GRVJUCbpja
— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2024
Ohtani went on to set multiple records through the night. After securing himself as the only player with a 50/50 season in MLB history, he also became the only player in Dodgers history to record 10 RBIs in a single game. He finished going 6-for-6 at the plate on the evening.
Ohtani Starts Strong
Ohtani entered the contest with 48 home runs and 49 stolen bases as he closed in on baseball immortality. He opened up the night with a double, scoring off a Will Smith sacrifice fly to give Los Angeles an early lead.
The Dodgers designated hitter would follow in the second inning with a single into right field, scoring his first RBI of the contest. With Gavin Lux advancing to third base, Ohtani pounced on the opportunity with his first stolen base of the night, bringing the slugger to 50 on the year. He later found himself up again in the third inning, recording a two-RBI double into center field. He was subsequently called out trying to stretch his hit into a triple.
Bringing the Power
After electing to pitch to an already 3-for-3 Ohtani in the sixth, the Marlins came to immediately regret this decision. The Dodgers star took the second pitch he saw 438 feet out to right center, registering two RBIs in the process.
SHOHEI OHTANI LEAVES THE YARD 🚀
49TH HOME RUN 🤯
ONE HOME RUN AWAY FROM HISTORY 😮 pic.twitter.com/HYYA1XisR8— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2024
Despite being down 12-3 in the seventh inning, the Marlins continued pitching to Ohtani. Relief pitcher Mike Baumann would end up throwing a pitch for the history books.
After working Ohtani to an 0-2 count, Baumann would throw a knuckle curve just below the zone. Baumann would go back to the knuckle curve the next pitch, leaving it in the middle of the zone. Ohtani took advantage, knocking out his second home run of the night to make baseball history.
Dodgers History Achieved
Despite the Dodgers holding a 14-3 lead, Ohtani walked up to the plate in the ninth inning looking for more. With his squad already down double-digits, Marlins second baseman Vidal Brujan took to the mound to pitch. Brujan elected to pitch to Ohtani, instead of issuing an intentional walk to the slugger.
After throwing two consecutive balls, Brujan would throw a 68 mph fastball that Ohtani hammered into deep right center field, scoring three more runs. The hit gave Ohtani the record for most RBIs in a game in Dodgers history.
The Dodgers would go on to clinch a postseason bid following their 20-4 win, improving to a 91-62 record on the season.
