On Thursday night, Shohei Ohtani played the greatest game in baseball history. And when it was over, the only thing on his mind was his performance.
He was just happy that his team won the game.
Ohtani broke new ground in MLB history by becoming the first member of the 50-50 club with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases against the Marlins.
After recording 50 stolen bases and 51 stolen bases, Ohtani hit a home run in the seventh inning to bring his home run total to 50 for the year. But that wasn't all. The Japanese superstar also hit another home run in the ninth inning, bringing his home run total to three. Ohtani recorded two doubles, one single, three home runs, two stolen bases and four runs.
Ohtani had a total of 10 RBIs.
The Dodgers defeated the Marlins 20-4 to clinch a playoff berth.
“I'm glad the team won,” Ohtani said after the game. “I wanted to forget about it as quickly as possible, but I'll cherish this victory forever.”
In Japan, the two-way player's impressive performance was praised by the government.
Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said, “We offer our heartfelt congratulations. We sincerely wish Otani, who has accomplished many great feats and paved the way for a new era, even greater success.”
It wasn't just the baseball world that was astounded by Ohtani's accomplishment. Even Ohtani himself seemed surprised by his performance.
“To be honest with you, I'm probably the most surprised,” the Dodgers superstar said of his impressive hitting performance. “I don't know why it happened, but I'm just happy I performed well today.”
The feat seems incredible, not just because of Ohtani's performance, but also because of how inauspicious the start to the season has been.
In June, Ohtani's longtime friend and interpreter, Mizuhara Ippei, pleaded guilty to stealing about $17 million from Ohtani to pay off gambling debts.
“This has been a uniquely difficult time,” Ohtani said after Mizuhara's guilty plea. “So I'm especially grateful to my support team — my family, my agent, distributors, lawyers, advisors and the entire Dodgers organization — who have shown constant support throughout this process. It's now time to close this chapter, move forward and focus on continuing to play and win games.”
With the victory secured and his historic performance behind him, Ohtani believes he has fulfilled part of his mission in leaving the Angels for the Dodgers.
“I've changed uniforms but I'm with a new team. My goal has always been to make the playoffs and I'm happy that we achieved that goal today, both individually and as a team.”
