The Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up their series against the Twins with a win. It was their first victory since the MLB All-Star break. Shohei Ohtani has made slugging a nightly spectacle in L.A. Now, he stands on the brink of something even greater. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn’t hold back his praise and optimism, when asked if Shohei Ohtani could reach that mark.
“Well, I don't know that answer,” Roberts told reporters. “I do know that if he has the same approach that he's had the last week, that Green Monster is very short. So, any fly ball that he hits will be a homer. So, he's just got to continue to have that same approach when we go to Boston, and then we'll see what happens.”
The two-way superstar homered for the fifth straight game on Tuesday night. He tied the Dodgers’ franchise record set by legends including Roy Campanella and Shawn Green. With his power stroke locked in, Ohtani is now three games shy of matching the MLB record. The mark of eight straight games with a home run is held by Ken Griffey Jr., Don Mattingly, and Dale Long.
The timing couldn't be better. Shohei Ohtani’s hot streak comes just as the Dodgers head to Fenway Park for a series with the Red Sox. The iconic Green Monster has swallowed many right-handed pull shots. But it could become a launchpad for Ohtani’s towering lefty swings.
Since the All-Star break, Shohei Ohtani has been scorching. He’s seeing the ball better and laying off breaking pitches out of the zone. He’s also jumping on fastballs early in the count. That disciplined aggression is what Dave Roberts is referring to, and what could propel the Dodgers superstar into the MLB history books.
For now, he holds a place in Dodgers lore. But if he keeps swinging like this, Shohei Ohtani could soon join the ranks of the game’s most dangerous home run hitters.