Shohei Ohtani hit a massive two-run homer in the third inning, breaking Hideki Matsui’s record for the most home runs by a Japanese player in MLB history. This helped the Los Angeles Dodgers end their three-game losing streak with a 10-0 win over the New York Mets on Sunday.
Ohtani’s powerful 423-foot shot off Adrian Houser was his fifth home run of the season and his 176th in his six-plus years in the majors with the Angels and Dodgers. This surpassed Matsui’s record, who previously held the record after playing 10 seasons in North America.
“I was just relieved I was able to get it over with,” Ohtani said, expressing his feelings through his interpreter. He admitted that while he wasn’t initially aware of Matsui’s record when he started his career, he began paying attention to it as he learned more about it.
When asked about emulating Matsui’s renowned performance in the playoffs, Ohtani joked that he’s currently more focused on breaking manager Dave Roberts’ record for the most home runs by a Japanese player in a Dodgers uniform.
Roberts is currently ahead of Ohtani by a score of 7-5 in that contest. “Hideki Matsui was a fantastic baseball player, known for hitting many home runs and winning a World Series,” Roberts commented.
“I know that Shohei looked up to him, so surpassing his record is a significant achievement. Shohei is always aiming to break records and set new milestones.”
Tyler Glasnow pitched brilliantly, striking out 10 batters and limiting the New York Mets to seven singles over eight innings. This performance helped the Los Angeles Dodgers end the Mets’ six-game winning streak and win the final game of a disappointing 3-6 homestand.
During the game, Andy Pages hit his first career home run, a three-run shot, in the Dodgers’ eight-run fifth inning. Freddie Freeman and Will Smith also contributed with two-run doubles, while Mookie Betts added an RBI single in the same inning.
“It was the first complete game I can remember from the Dodgers this season,” Roberts remarked. “Our defense was solid, and our batters showed great discipline. Tyler’s performance was outstanding, it was enjoyable to watch a game played so well.”
Despite winning 12 of their last 15 games after a slow start to the season, the Mets were shut out for the second time this year. This loss came after a stretch where they had won eight of their previous nine games.
