Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani had a day for the history books on Thursday against the Miami Marlins, batting a remarkable 6-for-6 and becoming the first player in the majors to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.
Ohtani’s perfect batting performance began with an RBI single in the first inning and a two-RBI double in the 3rd. Ohtani only got better as the game progressed, hitting three home runs in his next three at-bats. The Japanese-born Dodger added two stolen bases in the game, pushing him into a club no MLB player has ever reached — 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases.
Dodgers play-by-play broadcaster Joe Davis was on the call when Ohtani crushed his second homer of the game, which set the MLB record.
“One-of-a-kind player! One-of-a-kind season! Shohei Ohtani starts the 50/50 club!” said Davis as Ohtani’s ball flew past the left-field wall
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“Triple for the cycle, homer for history. On a 1-2, Ohtani… SENDS ONE IN THE AIR, THE OTHER WAY, BACK IT GOES, GOOOOOONNNEEE! ONE OF A KIND PLAYER! ONE OF A KIND SEASON! SHOHEI OHTANI STARTS THE 50/50 CLUB!” – Joe Davis on the historic call⚾️🎙️🦄 pic.twitter.com/JxDyNUfzTD
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 19, 2024
Ohtani wasn’t finished after setting the record as he crushed his 51st home run of the season in the 9th inning, helping the Dodgers dismantle the Marlins in a 20-4 victory.
“Oh my gosh! Shohei Ohtani! The greatest day in baseball history!” Davis said after Ohtani blasted another homer. “This is not real life. He is not human.”
“There’s the cliché that you never know what you’re gonna see when you go to the park. You gotta change that cliché from now on. There’s one thing you know you’ll never see- what you saw today,” Davis added.
“OH MY GOSH! SHOHEI OHTANI! THE GREATEST DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY!”
“There’s the cliché that you never know what you’re gonna see when you go to the park. You gotta change that cliché from now on. There’s one thing you know you’ll never see- what you saw today.” – Joe Davis ⚾️🎙️ https://t.co/XHue8pgMmU pic.twitter.com/TuFiFXIXi2
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 19, 2024
Ohtani finished the game batting 6-for-6 with three home runs and 10 RBIs. Only two other players in the history of the sport that dates back to 1876 recorded six hits, three homers, and 10 RBIs in a game — Cincinnati Reds catcher Walker Cooper in 1949 and Anthony Rendon of the Washington Nationals in 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported. The 30-year-old phenom also set a new Dodgers record on Thursday for the most home runs in a single season, passing Shawn Green’s 49 homers in 2022.
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“To be honest, I’m the one probably most surprised. I have no idea where this came from but I’m glad that I performed well today,” Ohtani said.
The Dodgers have clinched a playoff spot and stand at 91-62 on the season, which currently ties them with the Philadelphia Phillies for the best record in the majors.
