Since returning to the mound, Shohei Ohtani, the pitcher, hasn't gotten much run support from leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers' top offensive player.

Now granted, some of that might be because the two-way unicorn doesn't exactly get an extended period of rest between the top and bottom of the first inning, having to go from the mound, to the dugout, and then to the batter's box in a matter of minutes regardless of how many balls he threw, but over the course of his first five pitching performances of the year, the two-time MVP hasn't gone yard in the first inning.

In his sixth outing on the mound, however, that trend came to a screeching halt, with Ohtani blasting a two-run homer to provide himself with some rare first-inning run support.

Now this home run was noteworthy for a number of reasons. First, it marked the first time Ohtani has hit a two-run homer in the first inning this season, as he has almost exclusively been used as a leadoff hitter until Dave Roberts decided to make a change after the All-Star break. It also marked the first time Ohtani has hit a home run in an inning when he was also pitching in Dodgers Blue, ending a streak that was up to nine innings over five games.

Factor in that this particular home run, No. 35 on the year, ties him for the best mark in the National League, and Ohtani's legend will only continue to grow, especially if this is only the start of a much larger trend.

While the Dodgers are currently struggling mightily in the month of July, holding a losing record in the month while being dominated in two separate shutout series against the Milwaukee Brewers, watching Ohtani accomplish feats of athletic wonder on a seemingly regular basis is why many fans still have faith in the Blue and White. If the team can get healthy and Ohtani can continue to get comfortable hitting and pitching in the same game, it will only lead to better results in Los Angeles.

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