Shohei Ohtani hit his 175th home run in Major League Baseball, matching Hideki Matsui’s record for the most homers by a Japanese-born player. He achieved this milestone with a solo shot during the first inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ game against the San Diego Padres on Friday night.
Ohtani expressed his happiness and honor to be tied with Matsui, considering him a fellow power hitter. The home run came off an outside fastball from Michael King, sailing 403 feet into the center-field stands.
Earlier on Friday, there was news about Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, being ordered by a federal judge in Los Angeles to undergo gambling addiction treatment due to allegations of stealing $16 million from Ohtani’s bank account.
During a post-game interview, Ohtani did not address questions about the investigation, as the focus remained on baseball. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts commended Ohtani for his ability to stay focused and not let distractions affect his performance.
Despite the loss to the Padres, Ohtani had a strong game, going 3 for 5 at the plate. He has been on a hot streak, batting .457 with four home runs and 12 extra-base hits during his eight-game hitting streak.
Ohtani, a two-time AL MVP, signed a lucrative contract with the Dodgers during the offseason after playing six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.
Matsui, who played 10 seasons in the majors from 2003-2012, was admired by Ohtani since childhood. He spent the majority of his career with the New York Yankees before brief stints with the Angels, Oakland, and Tampa Bay.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a Dodgers pitcher, acknowledged the significance of Ohtani’s achievement, highlighting Matsui’s star status during his playing days.
Aside from Matsui and Ohtani, Ichiro Suzuki is the only other Japanese-born player to reach 100 home runs in Major League Baseball, with a total of 117. Ohtani expressed his excitement for future milestones and continued success in his baseball career.
