Ohtani’s Epic Home Run Dazes Giants, Bringing Him Closer to History with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani hit his first home run of the season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving the San Francisco Giants stunned. The two-way player took reliever Taylor Rogers deep at Dodger Stadium, sending the ball traveling 430 feet and exiting the bat at an impressive 105.6 mph. The contact was different from usual and fans were excited to witness such a momentous occasion.

The lucky fan who caught Ohtani’s homer was escorted from the stands after exchanging the ball for two caps, a bat, and a meeting with the player. This rare left-handed home run off Rogers, a sidearm left-hander, is only the eighth he has allowed in his long MLB career and the first since 2021. The homer helped the Dodgers take a lead over their rival Giants, but they had to hold on as San Francisco’s Jorge Soler hit a solo shot in the next inning.

After a scoreless eighth inning, reliever Dinelson Lamet secured his first career save with a 1-2-3 top of the ninth. Despite having immense expectations on him since he signed a massive contract with the Dodgers in free agency, Ohtani expressed relief after hitting his first homer of the season. The pressure has been high for him to perform well since joining the team but this momentous achievement will give him confidence moving forward.

Ohtani’s home run brings him one step closer to making history as he is now just six homers behind Dave Roberts, current manager of Dodgers, for most home runs by Japanese players in Dodgers history. As Ohtani continues to impress with his talents on both sides of play, this milestone is within reach for him and it will be exciting to see what he achieves next.