Facing White Sox starter Shane Smith in the fourth inning, Ohtani turned a 3-2 slider into fireworks, launching it 408 feet at 116.3 mph into the Right Field Pavilion. The homer came with two outs and capped a dominant opening stretch for the Dodgers’ offense, who scored four in the first and never looked back.
“He’s not just one of one — he’s rewriting what’s possible in this game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame.
Shohei Ohtani continues to rake, Dodgers continue to dominate
Ohtani leads all National League players in homers and trails only Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (33) and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge (30) for the MLB lead. The 2025 season marks only the fifth time in league history where three or more players have hit 30 homers before the All-Star break.
Statistically, Ohtani is outpacing every leadoff hitter in history. His 30 home runs are the most ever from the leadoff spot through a team’s first 86 games. It also broke a Dodgers franchise record, surpassing legends like Duke Snider (28 in 1955) and Gil Hodges (28 in 1951).
And he’s doing it all while making starts on the mound again — a feat never seen in modern baseball. Ohtani has operated as a multi-inning opener in his 2025 return to pitching, slowly ramping up after Tommy John surgery. His next scheduled start is set for Saturday against the Astros.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers continue to ride the wave. Tuesday’s win was their eighth in 10 games, and they now sit at 54-32, owning the best record in baseball and a nine-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto backed Ohtani’s offensive explosion with a brilliant seven-inning start. The right-hander gave up just three hits and one run, walking one and striking out eight. After an RBI double by Lenyn Sosa in the fourth, Yamamoto retired the final 10 batters he faced.
The Dodgers plated their six runs behind timely two-out hitting in the first and added on with RBI knocks from Andy Pages and Michael Conforto. But it was Ohtani’s blast — his 208th since the start of 2021 — that stole the show once again.
In games where Ohtani homers, the Dodgers are now 20-7. It’s safe to say, when Shohei goes deep, winning follows.
