The Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani finally hit a home run. He gifted the 42,365 fans gathered at Tokyo Dome to see Ohtani a home run present.
Ohtani started as the first designated hitter in the game against the Chicago Cubs in the Major League Baseball World Tour Tokyo Series on the 19th at Tokyo Dome. In his first at-bat in the first inning, he popped out to left field, and in his second at-bat in the third inning, he grounded out to first base.
However, Ohtani did not back down in his third at-bat. He came to the plate in the fifth inning, leading 5-2, with one out and no runners on base. Ohtani faced right-handed fireballer Nate Pearson and, with a count of two balls and two strikes, hit the fifth pitch, a 99.1 mile-per-hour four-seam fastball, over the right-center field fence for a solo home run. The ball soared high into right-center field and hit the hands of a fan standing behind the fence before falling to the ground. Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong requested a replay, and the Cubs bench also requested a review. However, the call was not overturned, completing Ohtani's first home run.
The day before (18th), in the opening game, Ohtani also started hitting from his third at-bat, achieving multiple hits with a single to right field.
This was Ohtani's first home run of the 2025 season, after achieving a historic milestone of 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases last year. It was also a historic moment as he hit his first home run in his home country of Japan.
With Ohtani's home run, the Dodgers extended their lead to 6-2 and raised their win probability to 89.8%. They are solidifying their advantage.
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