Shohei Ohtani is going to the postseason for the first time in his career after the Los Angeles Dodgers won the NL West on Thursday night. They scored five runs in the seventh inning to beat the San Diego Padres 7-2.
Ohtani played his first six MLB seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, where the team never had a winning record or made it to October. He signed a big 10-year contract worth $700 million with the Dodgers last offseason.
During the celebration in the clubhouse, Ohtani made a rookie mistake. He wasn’t wearing goggles like most of his teammates when they celebrated with alcohol. He blinked hard and his eyes looked red while speaking to the media outside the loud party.
“It stung a little bit in my eyes,” he said, smiling. “It was an awesome feeling and I’m hoping to be able to continue popping more champagne.”
Ohtani went 3 for 5 in the game, getting a go-ahead run and scoring another. “Today I came to the stadium really wanting to clinch and I’m glad that we were able to do that,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
His blue T-shirt was completely soaked, and his dark hair was wet. Cigar smoke filled the clubhouse.
Manager Dave Roberts joked, “Shohei was showered with champagne. He’s going to smell like a brewery for the next week. This is what Shohei signed up for, this is what he wanted to be a part of. Shohei’s just been remarkable this entire season.”
Ohtani recently made history by becoming the first player ever to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in one season. He also reached 400 total bases on Thursday, the first player to do this since 2001.
The Dodgers hadn’t celebrated a clinch at home since the shortened 2020 season, when there were cardboard cutouts in the stands instead of real fans. The last time fans were present for a clinching celebration at home was in 2018.
“It’s total chaos which is exactly how it should be and it never gets old,” said general manager Brandon Gomes.
A sellout crowd of 52,433, including former Dodgers star Manny Ramirez, filled Dodger Stadium for the final game of an important series. The Dodgers achieved their 41st comeback win of the season, the best in the National League.
“Just a lot of fight by these guys,” said catcher Will Smith, who wore a T-shirt with ‘We Own the West’ along with his teammates.
The Dodgers won two out of three games against the Padres and will head to Colorado for a three-game series to finish the regular season.
Their 11th division title in 12 years means they will have a first-round bye in the postseason. This will give All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman time to recover from a right ankle injury he got late in the game. He was seen using crutches and wearing a walking boot after the game.
The Dodgers improved their record to 95-64 and will start the playoffs at home on Oct. 5 in a best-of-five Division Series.
Smith hit a tying, two-run homer off Joe Musgrove to kick off the Dodgers’ rally. Musgrove had kept the Dodgers scoreless for six innings while the Padres led 2-0.
“It got everyone going,” said Smith, who has hit 20 homers in a season for the third time in his career.
Musgrove walked Max Muncy to start the inning. Smith then hit a 426-foot home run to center field, tying the game at 2-2. This was the Dodgers’ first home run in the three-game series.
Pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández got a single and moved to second when Andy Pages reached base due to catcher’s interference by Kyle Higashioka. Ohtani singled, and Hernández scored because of an error, while Ohtani advanced to second on another error by Fernando Tatis Jr.
Pages and Ohtani scored on Mookie Betts’ single, making the score 5-2. Pages also hit a two-run home run with two strikes and two outs in the eighth inning.
The rally against the Padres was interrupted by Freeman’s exit after he awkwardly collided with Luis Arraez and the first base bag while trying to avoid being tagged for the second out of the seventh. Freeman grabbed at his lower right leg before leaving the field.
