Ohtani’s Historic Performance Leads Dodgers to World Series
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani dazzled both as a pitcher and a hitter in a performance that many might consider one of the most impressive in postseason history.
On Friday, Ohtani was instrumental in the Dodgers’ 5-1 victory over the Brewers in Game 4 of the NLCS, propelling the team into the World Series where they eventually clinched the title.
He smashed three home runs, pitched six innings without allowing a run, and struck out ten batters. This achievement made him the first player in MLB history to hit three home runs while also striking out ten batters in both regular and postseason play.
The Dodgers are now 9-1 this postseason and need just four more wins to become the first team since the Yankees in 2000 to secure back-to-back World Series titles. The Yankees had an impressive streak of three consecutive championships from 1998 to 2000.
In the upcoming World Series, the Dodgers will face either the Mariners or Blue Jays, starting on Friday. If the Mariners advance, the first game will be at Dodger Stadium; otherwise, it will kick off in Toronto.
Ohtani’s remarkable pitching performance adds to the series of strong showings from Dodgers pitchers. Overall, the team has allowed only four runs in four games, led by Blake Snell’s incredible eight shutout innings in Game 1. The pitching staff, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, has been stellar throughout.
In the seventh inning, Ohtani was pulled after Christian Yelich walked and William Contreras singled. Alex Bashear stepped in and effectively closed out the inning, maintaining the scoreless status for Ohtani, who finished with over 100 pitches, allowing only two hits and three walks. As he exited, fans chanted “MVP.”
The Dodgers’ swift sweep of the Brewers saw them outscore their opponents 15-4.
Jose Quintana struggled for the Brewers, lasting just two innings before being ejected after allowing two baserunners in the third. He ended up giving up three earned runs on six hits and one walk.
The Dodgers took an early lead in the first inning with Ohtani’s home run, followed by Mookie Betts and Will Smith’s back-to-back hits. An RBI single from Tommy Edman pushed the score to 3-0.
Blake Perkins got on base in the third inning but became a casualty of a double play, complicating the Brewers’ chances. Ohtani then hit a massive 469-foot homer in the fourth inning, boosting the lead to 4-0, marking his second two-homer game this postseason.
After Ohtani left the game, Trevor Megill hit another home run in the seventh, stretching the lead to 5-0.
Ohtani joined an elite group as the 11th player in postseason history to hit three home runs in a game. The last Dodger to achieve this was Chris Taylor during the 2021 NLCS against the Braves.
In the ninth inning, Aki Sasaki entered in a tough situation but effectively closed the game, allowing the celebration to commence as “I Love LA” echoed through the stadium. Last year, the Dodgers clinched their World Series spot following a victory over the Mets in Game 6 of the NLCS.
