LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani is on a roll again.
The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar hit his 52nd career home run and stole his 52nd base on Friday night, breaking the major league records for home runs and stolen bases in the same game.
This is the 14th time Ohtani has achieved this feat, surpassing the previous record of 13 games set by Rickey Henderson in 1986 while playing for the New York Yankees.
Ohtani's performance came the night after he became the first player in major league history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season.
“He's looked good the last few games,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
He reached base with an infield single to first base in the seventh inning and then stole second base.
Ohtani's 52nd home run, a 423-footer to center field against a 3-2 pitch by Kyle Freeland, sent Max Muncy home and gave the Dodgers a 3-2 lead with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Ohtani continues to display his flair for the dramatic in his historic first season with the Dodgers.
On Thursday at Miami, Ohtani hit three home runs for the first time in his career, all coming after the sixth inning. It was also the first time he had six hits and he had a franchise- and career-record 10 RBIs, the most any player in MLB history has done.
He hit 51 home runs and stole 51 bases on the night.
He also stole two bases and nearly hit for the cycle, but was out at third while trying to extend his second double into a third while showing off a rare combination of speed and power.
Ohtani was greeted with a standing ovation as he led off the top of the first inning on Friday. Chants of “MVP! MVP!” rang out and fans pulled out their cellphones and stood to record his at-bat. Ohtani collapsed while batting, but the crowd applauded again when he returned to the dugout.
A replay of Ohtani's historic night was played on the video board during batting practice.
“People just love watching great players,” Roberts said, “and he's going to go down in history as one of the greatest players of all time.”
Rockies manager Bud Black marveled at Ohtani's accomplishment but said he wanted his superstar to hold off on honing his skills until after the three-game series.
“He's available to start Monday,” Black said.
Ohtani clearly didn't get the message.
He also had two singles in his three-hit game, his 11th of the season.
Ohtani's previous bests were 46 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 2021 while playing for the Los Angeles Angels, when he won his second career American League Most Valuable Player award.
Now he's the leading candidate for the National League MVP.
Ohtani seems to have no limits.
He hit a grand slam in the ninth inning against Tampa Bay on Aug. 23 in his 126th game, becoming the fastest player to reach a 40-40 record.
He has nine games remaining to see what else he can do in the regular season.
“Knowing him, I'd probably put it at 60-60,” Roberts said. “I know that's very unrealistic, but anything is possible with him.”
The Dodgers beat the Marlins 20-4 on Thursday to clinch their 12th consecutive postseason appearance. That's nothing new for the Dodgers, but it's new for Ohtani, who has yet to appear in the postseason in 865 games, the most of any active player.
“He's going to be super prepared and super focused,” Roberts said. “I think the whole world will be excited to see him in October.”
When Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December, he made it clear that competing for a championship was what motivated him.
“My No. 1 goal is to get to the postseason and win the World Series,” he said last month.
During his six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, the team never made the playoffs and never finished with a winning record.
The Dodgers, currently leading the National League West, are seeking their 11th division title in 12 seasons.
Ohtani's incredible achievement came during a season in which he was betrayed by his best friend and was unable to pitch while rehabbing from elbow surgery last offseason.
He missed the Home Run Derby during All-Star Weekend in July to avoid further potential injury, but he hit a three-run homer as the designated hitter in the National League loss.
Not pitching allowed Ohtani's arm and legs to stay fresher and more agile while also allowing him to focus and improve on other aspects of his game: He honed his base-running and stealing skills, studied opposing pitchers' tendencies on video and learned how to get better jumps on them.
Dodgers fans may be witnessing a once-in-a-generation side to Ohtani's game, even though his leg may not allow him to steal as many bases next year when he resumes pitching every five days.
The Ohtani effect is visible off the field as well.
Fans crowded inside and outside Dodger Stadium during two bobblehead giveaways, the final Ohtani promotion being on Saturday, when the first 40,000 fans will receive T-shirts featuring Ohtani's likeness.
The team has hired more Japanese-speaking guides to accommodate the growing number of Japanese tourists who flock to the stadium for tours, and it has also signed a number of Japanese sponsors.
“He's one of a kind,” Roberts said.
