On a night when fans flooded Dodger Stadium early for a coveted bobblehead, Shohei Ohtani made sure to give them even more reason to cheer. In the top of the fifth inning Thursday, Ohtani launched a towering three-run home run to deep right-center field, extending the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lead over the Oakland/Sacramento Athletics to 10-2. It was a fitting highlight on his own bobblehead night — one of the most anticipated promotional events of the season.

“Shohei Ohtani goes yard on his bobblehead night!” MLB posted on X, formerly Twitter, moments after the blast.

The home run capped off yet another monster performance for Ohtani in his MVP-caliber season. It was his latest in a string of clutch moments since joining the Dodgers, and it further demoralized an Athletics team that has struggled mightily all year. At the time of his homer, the Dodgers had already put up double digits on the scoreboard, showcasing their offensive firepower in full.

Dodgers destroying the A's early on Thursday night

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Athletics during the third inning of the game at Dodger Stadium.
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An inning later, Ohtani decided to go deep again, crushing a two-run home run to center field to bring the Dodgers lead up to 15-2 in the bottom half of the fourth inning. That's his 15th on the year, tying Kyle Schwarber and Aaron Judge for the MLB lead.

The hype around the bobblehead giveaway was massive even before the game started. Fans lined up hours in advance — some reportedly overnight — to secure the limited-edition Shohei Ohtani “50/50” bobblehead, commemorating his historic 2024 season where he became the first player ever to notch 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same campaign.

Ohtani’s in-game performance only added fuel to the frenzy, turning a promotional night into a party at Chavez Ravine. His ability to rise to the occasion — especially on nights like this — has endeared him to Dodgers fans in record time.

With Ohtani’s bat firing and the Dodgers lineup firing on all cylinders, it was yet another reminder of why Los Angeles is one of the most feared teams in baseball — and why Shohei Ohtani remains the sport’s biggest star.