Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani strikes out three, mashes leadoff homer
Shohei Ohtani had perhaps the perfect start to Game 4 of the NLCS on Friday.
Ohtani, who started on the mound for the Dodgers, opened the game against the Brewers by striking out three while hitting triple digits on his fastball after walking leadoff hitter Brice Turang.
Just minutes later, Ohtani, 31, led off the bottom half of the inning at the plate for Los Angeles by blasting a 446-foot home run which nearly left Dodger Stadium off of ex-Mets left-hander Jose Quintana.
Ohtani’s early game performance also came with some more MLB firsts for the two-way phenom, as he became the first pitcher in the league’s history to lead off a game with a home run.
He became the first Dodgers pitcher in history to hit a home run in the postseason.
But he might have one-upped himself when he homered again in the fourth inning, blasting a 469-foot shot that cleared the roof of the right field pavilion.
The home run gives Ohtani a spark in an otherwise cold postseason at the plate so far, with the three-time MVP having a slash line of just .158/.273/.368 before Friday’s game.
“Shohei is not performing the way he would like or we would expect,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said following the Dodgers’ Game 3 win. “But I just know how big of a part he is to this thing.”
Ohtani’s first-inning blast also came one year to the day after he took Quintana yard to lead off Game 4 of the NLCS against the Mets.
Following Ohtani’s leadoff shot on Friday, Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman drove in Mookie Betts, and Teoscar Hernandez drove in Will Smith to cap off a three-run first inning.
The Dodgers currently hold a commanding 3-0 series lead in a rather lopsided series.
Their pitching staff has been dominant against the Brewers, holding them to just three runs over the first three games of the series.
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
