LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani, baseball’s unparalleled two-way sensation, made an unforgettable statement in his latest postseason appearance, electrifying Dodger Stadium with a pair of historic home runs that propelled Los Angeles to a commanding 10-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series. This remarkable performance, complemented by Teoscar Hernández’s own multi-homer effort and a stellar outing from Blake Snell, gives the Dodgers a significant advantage in the best-of-three series, historically seeing Game 1 winners advance 90% of the time.
Ohtani wasted no time leaving his mark. Facing Reds starter Hunter Greene's triple-digit heat in the bottom of the first inning, Ohtani unleashed a leadoff laser that scorched off his bat at an astonishing 117.7 mph. This missile to right field etched its name into the record books as the fourth-hardest-hit postseason home run since Statcast began tracking in 2015. Notably, Ohtani almost surpassed his own 117.8 mph blast from last year’s NLCS, which had been the Dodgers' most recent postseason leadoff homer.
Not content with just one monumental shot, Ohtani returned to the plate five innings later to deliver another awe-inspiring blow. His second homer of the night, a two-run moonshot off reliever Connor Phillips, traveled a projected 454 feet. While slightly lower in exit velocity at 113.5 mph, its sheer distance set a new Dodgers postseason record, surpassing previous marks held by Chris Taylor and Corey Seager. With this feat, Ohtani became only the second player in the Statcast era to hit two home runs at 113 mph or harder in a single postseason game, joining Giancarlo Stanton.
Ohtani's impact transcends individual games. In just two years with the Dodgers, he now accounts for the 16 hardest-hit balls by any Dodger in the Statcast era, a testament to his unparalleled power. His recent 100th homer as a Dodger, wallopped at 120 mph earlier this season, sits atop that list. Furthermore, Greene’s 100.4 mph pitch marked the fastest Ohtani had homered off in his career, making it the hardest-hit homer off a 100-plus mph pitch by any Major Leaguer. Just days prior to this playoff heroics, Ohtani broke his own franchise single-season home run record with his 55th blast in Game 162. His immediate legacy in Los Angeles is undeniable.
While Ohtani stole the headlines, the Dodgers' victory was a collective effort. Teoscar Hernández matched Ohtani's power display with multiple long balls, marking only the second time in franchise history that two teammates have achieved this in a postseason game. On the mound, Blake Snell delivered seven dominant innings, silencing the Reds’ bats and securing the win. Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto set to face Zack Littell on ESPN, as the Dodgers aim for a sweep.
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Originally published at: https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-hits-leadoff-homer-in-nl-wild-card-series-game-1
