Shohei Ohtani hit his 54th home run of the season, a powerful three-run shot, after stealing his 57th base earlier in the game, helping the NL West-champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Colorado Rockies 11-4 on Friday night.
The Dodgers’ designated hitter went 4 for 5, with two singles, a double, and four RBIs. He now has 24 hits in his last 34 at-bats.
“Shohei, he put on a show,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Ohtani is making a strong push for the Triple Crown, leading the NL in home runs (54) and RBIs (130). His batting average rose to .309, putting him just behind the Padres’ Luis Arráez (.314), who went 3 for 5 against the Diamondbacks on Friday.
With his stolen base in the second inning, Ohtani passed Ichiro Suzuki for the most stolen bases in a single season by a Japanese-born player. He wore spikes that featured a picture of his dog, Decoy.
His three-run homer in the sixth inning soared into the second deck at Coors Field, creating a loud reaction from the packed crowd, a preview of the fireworks planned for later.
“(Ohtani) hits the ball really hard because he swings hard and he’s a strong man,” said Rockies manager Bud Black. “He’s a really unbelievable talent.”
Ohtani’s 408 total bases this season rank second in franchise history, behind Babe Herman’s record of 416 set in 1930.
The Dodgers are now 38-12 this season when Ohtani hits a home run.
“He’s locked in,” said teammate Chris Taylor. “He’s definitely in a zone right now. He’s feeling it. We’re all just watching him continue to have a good year and he’s finishing it strong.”
Teoscar Hernández got the Dodgers going with a two-run homer in the first inning. Andy Pages also homered for the team, which recently secured their third straight division title on Thursday. The Dodgers now hold a two-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies for the top seed in the National League.
