Shohei Ohtani is finishing his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in style. He has not slowed down one bit despite already making history by being the first MLB player to hit at least 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. Ohtani continues to be a catalyst behind the Dodgers' strong run of form as of late, and on Sunday night, he added another feather to his achievement-laden cap by starting their rally in the ninth inning in their 6-5 win over the Colorado Rockies by hitting his 53rd long ball of the season.
Ohtani has upped his game in the month of September. In 20 games thus far this month, the Dodgers star has hit nine home runs, driven in 25 runs, and stolen 12 bases — all with an elite OPS of 1.180. What he's doing is unprecedented, and even manager Dave Roberts couldn't quite believe what he's seeing from the likely 2024 NL MVP.
“To start that ninth inning with Shohei continuing to do what he does, he just doesn't seem human right now. I really haven't seen a player as locked like Shohei is for as long as he's been in quite some time,” Roberts said, via ESPN.
Shohei Ohtani saves the day for the Dodgers
Article Continues BelowShohei Ohtani already had three hits on the night for the Dodgers before he led off the ninth inning of their Sunday night contest against the Rockies as the game's tying run. However, the Rockies did a solid enough job to hold him down to three singles. Still, given how on fire Ohtani has been this month, there was no stopping him with the game on the line.
After working the count to 2-1, Ohtani punished a meatball splitter from Seth Halvorsen, setting up Mookie Betts for the final kill as the Dodgers walked off the Rockies in grand fashion — allowing the Dodgers to end the night with the best record in the MLB.
Ohtani has played at a level where allegations of him being a robot are well-warranted. Watching him tear up the opposition is such a treat, even for those who get to work with him on a daily basis, like Dave Roberts.