Shohei Ohtani set a major league record by hitting a home run and stealing a base in the same game for the 14th time as the Los Angeles Dodgers came back to defeat the last-place Colorado Rockies 6-4 on Friday night.
This win brought the Dodgers’ magic number down to four to secure the division title. Los Angeles is already guaranteed a spot in the postseason.
Ohtani’s 52nd homer and 52nd stolen base broke the previous record of 13 games with at least one of each, held by Rickey Henderson from 1986 with the New York Yankees.
“He’s lights out clearly,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think he’s ramped up his focus.”
Teoscar Hernández hit a go-ahead home run—his 30th—at the start of the sixth inning, giving the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. He and Ohtani have both homered in the same game 11 times.
“It’s great being a teammate with Shohei, especially because of the things he’s been doing this year,” Hernández said.
The Dodgers added two more runs in the seventh inning. Pinch-hitter Tommy Edman scored on a sacrifice fly by Mookie Betts.
Ohtani hustled for an infield single to first base and then stole second. He advanced to third on an error by center fielder Sam Hilliard and scored on Hernández’s infield single.
Ohtani had a go-ahead homer with two outs in the fifth inning after Andy Pages started the inning with a solo home run. It was Ohtani’s 27th homer at Dodger Stadium, tying Cody Bellinger for the most at home in a single season.
“To be able to cover that ball at the top of the zone, above the zone, go to the big part of the field, it’s pretty spectacular,” Roberts said.
Ohtani also singled in the third inning, ending the game with his 11th three-hit performance of the season.
He excited the crowd of 49,073 after the home fans had to watch from afar on Thursday night when he became the first player in major league history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a season, achieving this feat in Miami.
