In a thrilling game on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers extended their winning streak to three, thanks in large part to Shohei Ohtani’s continued power at the plate.
After hitting leadoff home runs in their last two games, Ohtani got off to a slow start, striking out looking on the first pitch he saw from Cleveland Guardians’ Tanner Bibee.
But that was the last time Bibee had the upper hand. After being intentionally walked in the second inning, Ohtani launched a 362-foot opposite-field home run in the fourth, pushing the Dodgers’ lead to 4-0. The Dodgers would go on to win 9-5.
Ohtani’s homer was a milestone, his 20th of the season, making him only the third player in Dodgers history to reach 20 home runs in the team’s first 55 games. He joins legends Gil Hodges (1951) and Cody Bellinger (2019) in this exclusive club.
Unlike his usual towering blasts to right field, this home run was a controlled poke to left field, just clearing the fence at Progressive Field. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts joked, “He has a lot more margin for error,” referring to the difference in ballpark dimensions.
This was Ohtani’s second time this season hitting home runs in three consecutive games, a feat he has achieved 10 times in his career. He also now shares third place for the most homers by a Dodger in a calendar month with 13, trailing only Pedro Guerrero and Duke Snider, who hold the record at 15.
Teammate Max Muncy expressed his admiration, saying, “He does stuff that no normal human being can do.”
Interestingly, neither Ohtani nor Bibee expected the ball to clear the fence. Ohtani ran hard at first but slowed to a jog when he realised it was gone, while Bibee stood stunned, mouthing “Oh my God.”
Ohtani finished the game 1-for-3 with two walks and two strikeouts, continuing his impressive May, where he’s slugging .776, well above his career average for the month.
Roberts praised Ohtani’s improved discipline at the plate, which has made a noticeable difference.
On the pitching side, Dustin May continued to impress while filling in for Ohtani. May struck out a season-high nine batters over five innings, allowing just three runs. His performance helped keep the Guardians at bay despite a costly three-run homer from Daniel Schneemann.
Other Dodgers contributors included Michael Conforto, who hit his first home run since early April, and Max Muncy, who launched his third homer of May. Both had struggled earlier in the season but showed signs of revival in this game.
Roberts noted, “We’re seeing a lot of signs of life. It just adds the depth and power we expected from the start of the season.”
With Ohtani nearing a pitching return and key hitters finding form, the Dodgers look well poised to continue their strong run as the season progresses.
Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images
