DENVER — Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hit his 54th home run of the season Friday night against Colorado after stealing base No. 57 to pass Ichiro Suzuki for the most in a single season by a player. Japanese origin.
Ohtani finished 4 for 5, including two singles and a double, and drove in four runs in the Dodgers’ 11-4 victory. He now has 24 hits in his last 34 at-bats.
“Shohei, he put on a show,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Ohtani makes a serious charge during a Triple Crown, leading the National League in home runs (54) and RBIs (130). He increased his average to .309 to trail only the Padres’ Luis Arráez (.314 after going 3-for-5 against the Diamondbacks Friday night) in the batting title race.
He launched a towering three-run blast into the second deck at Coors Field in the sixth inning on a changeup from Rockies reliever Anthony Molina. There was no doubt about the swing of the bat, with the sell-out crowd erupting instantly, an early spectacle before the fireworks that awaited after the match.
“(Ohtani) hits the ball really hard because he swings hard and he’s a strong man,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “He’s a truly incredible talent.”
His 408 total goals this season are the second most in franchise history. Babe Herman set the record of 416 in 1930.
The Dodgers are now 38-12 this season when Ohtani goes to work.
“He’s locked in,” teammate Chris Taylor said. “He’s definitely in a zone right now. He feels it. We’re all watching him continue to have a good year and he’s finishing it strong.”
In the second heat, Ohtani – wearing spikes with a picture of his dog, Decoy – stole second place to eclipse Suzuki’s mark set in 2001 with Seattle. Suzuki played for the Mariners, New York Yankees, Miami, then briefly returned to Seattle during a career that spanned 19 seasons.
Ohtani managed to steal 34 consecutive bases without getting caught. This is the second-longest streak in franchise history, trailing only Davey Lopes’ 38 in 1975.
Ohtani is 57 of 61 on stolen base attempts this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
