Ohtani’s historic performance led the Dodgers.Los Angeles – The atmosphere at Dodger Stadium was filled with excitement on Friday night. Mookie Betts stood on the field, his World Series commemorative cap on his head and a big smile on his face. The Los Angeles Dodgers had just won a resounding 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series (NLCS). The hero of this victory was Shohei Ohtani, who delivered a performance that his teammates called one of the greatest in baseball history.
Betts exclaimed enthusiastically, “It’s like we’re the Chicago Bulls and he’s Michael Jordan!”
Ohtani’s Historic Performance.Shohei Ohtani achieved something in this game that had never been seen before in baseball history. Pitching, he threw six scoreless innings and struck out 10 batters. Batting, he hit three home runs, one of which was so powerful it flew out of the stadium. This performance gave the Dodgers their second consecutive pennant in the fourth game of the NLCS and Ohtani the NLCS MVP award.
Dodgers utility player Enrique Hernández exclaimed, “Is that a human being?” Third baseman Max Muncy called it the greatest performance in baseball history. He said, “When my kids ask me what the greatest thing I’ve ever seen in baseball is, I’ll mention this game. It’s the greatest performance I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Ohtani’s Challenges and Comeback. Ohtani’s performance becomes even more special when we consider his recent performance. In his last seven games, he had only three hits and 14 strikeouts in 29 at-bats. His batting decline was so pronounced that he had to take extra batting practice. Many questioned whether trying to play both pitcher and hitter in the postseason was affecting his batting.
But Ohtani answered these questions with his performance. Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman said, “Shohei puts the most pressure on himself.” Hitting coach Aaron Bates believes that focusing on pitching has brought naturalness to his batting. He said, “Pitching gave him the freedom to be an athlete in the box. It just allowed him to play baseball.”
Record-Breaking Performance.According to ESPN research, Ohtani became the first player in Major League history to hit two home runs (even three) and 10 strikeouts as a pitcher in a postseason game. He hit more home runs than he allowed two hits. He became the first pitcher in Dodgers history to hit a home run in the postseason, and the second player to hit three home runs in an NLCS-clinching game, joining Hernandez on this list in 2017.
The Dodgers’ Journey.In 2024, the Dodgers won a full-season championship for the first time in 36 years. Following this victory, they hoped to challenge the Major League regular-season wins record the following season. An impressive 23-10 record at the start of the season further strengthened this belief. However, over the next 110 games, their wins and losses were nearly equal. A weak rotation, bullpen instability, and a lack of lineup consistency limited them to mediocre performance.
At their lowest ebb in Baltimore in September, manager Dave Roberts called a team meeting to instill confidence in the players. Subsequently, the Dodgers won 15 of their final 20 regular-season games and continued that momentum into the playoffs. They defeated the Cincinnati Reds in the wild-card round, the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Division Series, and then completely overwhelmed the No. 1-seeded Brewers.
Ohtani’s Magic.At the start of the game, Ohtani took the ball after 12 days of rest. He gave up a leadoff walk to Brice Turang, but then struck out Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich on 100-mph fastballs. He then struck out William Contreras on a sweeper.
After pitching, Ohtani quickly prepared to bat. He hit a 446-foot home run against Jose Quintana. In the fourth inning, the Brewers recorded the first hit, but Ohtani controlled the situation by giving consecutive outs. In the fifth inning, he hit a 469-foot home run off Chad Patrick’s cutter, which sailed into the right-center-field bleachers. In the sixth inning, he had four consecutive strikeouts and came off the field after 87 pitches in the seventh inning, where the 52,883 spectators stood and ovated him.
When he came up to bat again, chants of “MVP” echoed. Ohtani hit a 113.6 mph line drive that sailed over the fence near center field.
Dodgers’ Historic Win.The 2025 Dodgers became the first team since the 2009 Phillies to return to the World Series a year after winning it. They are the fifth team to win nine of their first 10 postseason games, joining the 2014 Kansas City Royals, the 2005 Chicago White Sox, the 1999 New York Yankees, and the 1995 Atlanta Braves on this list.
Ohtani’s Unique Achievement.Since 1893, when the pitching mound was installed at its current distance, 1,550 players have had 10 strikeouts in a Major League game, and 503 have hit three home runs. But only one player has achieved both simultaneously – Shohei Ohtani.
“Only one person in this world and in the history of this game can do that, and that’s Ohtani,” Hernandez said.
