Shohei Ohtani smashed a 473-foot home run with a 116.7 mph exit velocity, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
In his four months with the Dodgers, Ohtani has hit plenty of stunning home runs. However, he saved his most remarkable one for his 30th of the season in the series finale on Sunday.
Shohei Ohtani's moonshot
In the fifth inning, Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford left a 2-1 cutter in the middle of the plate, and Ohtani didn't miss. The instant Ohtani connected, it was evident the ball was destined for a home run, with the only question being if it would clear Dodger Stadium.
Fans in the area say that the ball flew between the pavilion roof and an advertisement sign in right-center field, clearing the concourse and landing on the walkway in the ballpark plaza.
At 473 feet, it's the second-longest homer at Dodger Stadium in the Statcast era, surpassed only by Giancarlo Stanton's 475-foot shot on May 12, 2015, that went over the stadium.
Shohei Ohtani now boasts seven home runs of 450-plus feet this season, more than any other player in the Majors. This achievement also marks three more long homers than any other Dodger in a single season since 2015. Ohtani holds three of the five longest home runs at Dodger Stadium in the Statcast era.
Since Statcast began tracking in 2015, Dodger Stadium has seen just 15 home runs over 450 feet, the second fewest among current MLB parks, with only Petco Park recording fewer (12). Shohei Ohtani stands out as the only player with multiple 450-plus-foot homers at Dodger Stadium, having hit five such shots.
Exceeding expectations with the Dodgers
Ohtani's 473-foot home run ranks as the third-longest of the season, tied with Aaron Judge’s blast on May 5 against the Astros at Yankee Stadium and Mike Trout’s homer on April 1 in Miami against the Marlins.
The Dodgers’ two-way superstar’s 476-foot home run against the Rockies on June 18 was the longest of 2024 until Jorge Soler of the San Francisco Giants topped it with a 478-foot blast at Coors Field on Sunday.
In his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani has exceeded expectations after signing a historic 10-year, $700 million deal. He leads the team in nearly every major hitting category and has hit at least 30 home runs for four consecutive seasons.
The Dodgers going six deep
The Dodgers' offensive explosion included six home runs in their 9-6 win over the Red Sox. In addition to Ohtani's remarkable shot, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, Gavin Lux, Austin Barnes, and Jason Heyward also hit homers, completing a series sweep for Los Angeles.
This marked the 25th time the Dodgers have hit at least six home runs in a game, and their first such performance since 2022 against Kansas City. Five of those home runs came off Boston starter Kutter Crawford (6-8).
Jarren Duran, who was named MVP of last Tuesday’s All-Star Game, hit a home run and drove in four runs for the Red Sox (53-45), who dropped to a game behind the Royals (55-45) for the final AL wild card spot.
James Paxton (8-2) gave up three runs on four hits and struck out seven in five innings. Although Boston clawed back for three runs in the ninth, Daniel Hudson came in to earn his sixth save.
Barnes' solo home run extended the Dodgers' lead to 5-2 in the fifth inning. Ohtani then launched a 473-foot homer off Crawford’s cutter, becoming the first NL player to reach 30 home runs this season. Judge leads the majors with 35.
Follow Us
Subscribe
