It is becoming increasingly difficult for Shohei Ohtani to stun the masses with his greatness, as he continues to complete mind-boggling feats year after year. Though, he did his best to make jaws drop in Tuesday's game versus the Philadelphia Phillies. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar threw five no-hit innings and then blasted his 50th home run of the season. He is just the sixth player to attain that mark in consecutive campaigns, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
Ohtani joins an esteemed club of prolific power hitters that includes Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey Jr. This once-in-a-generation player continues to do things that the baseball world has not witnessed in ages, or in some cases, ever. Besides soaring into rarefied air, the three-time MVP's 430-foot bomb helped the Dodgers eventually pull even with the Phillies in the eighth inning.
Ultimately, though, Ohtani's two-way heroics were not rewarded. Bullpen struggles resulted in a 9-6 home loss. The Japanese juggernaut did at least give the fans who piled into Dodger Stadium a history-making outing they can look back on with amazement and joy. Moreover, he thrived against one of LA' biggest obstacles to a second straight World Series title. Although the outcome did not go the way he or the team wanted, Shohei Ohtani can build on this terrific performance.
The 31-year-old, who is slashing .282/.395/.611/1.006 with the aforementioned 50 homers, 94 RBIs and 19 stolen bases, could be extra motivated to have another big game on Wednesday night. The Dodgers (84-67) will try to avoid a sweep in Chavez Ravine and get back on track before the playoffs begin. First pitch is at 10:10 p.m. ET.
