Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani delivered a three-run, game-tying home run that doubled as his first career MLB playoff hit during Saturday's Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres (GameTracker). Ohtani, appearing in his first MLB postseason game, hit a fly out to left in his first at-bat. He ended the night 2 for 5 with 3 RBI en route to a 7-5 Dodgers win.
Here's a look at the home run in all its moving picture glory:
SHOHEI OHTANI TIES THE GAME!!! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/EkcONeweie
— MLB (@MLB) October 6, 2024
The Dodgers had fallen behind by a 3-0 margin in the top of the first inning, with Padres third baseman Manny Machado crushing a two-run shot against Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Ohtani's home run tied the game at 3-3.
Prior to the series, Ohtani had a simple answer to a reporter who asked if he was nervous to play in October: "Nope"
You think Shohei Ohtani is nervous for his #Postseason debut? 😂 pic.twitter.com/KaEErkqaGR
— MLB (@MLB) October 5, 2024
Consider Ohtani's confidence to be both earned and deserved.
"The stadium was electric," Ohtani said through interpretator Will Ireton after the game, "and I was just really able to enjoy the game today."
Ohtani is, of course, the odds-on favorite to win the NL Most Valuable Player Award. During the regular season, he batted .310/.390/.646 (190 OPS+) with 54 home runs, 130 runs batted in, and 59 stolen bases (on 63 attempts). He became the first player in MLB history to record at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season.
Ohtani's contributions were worth an estimated 9.2 Wins Above Replacement, according to the calculations housed at Baseball Reference.
This is Ohtani's first season as a member of the Dodgers. He had spent the first six years of his MLB career with the Los Angeles Angels, who haven't made the playoffs since 2014. Ohtani left the Angels through free agency, signing a 10-year pact worth $700 million with the Dodgers. (The actual value of the deal is significantly lower because of an historic amount of deferred money.)
The Dodgers and Padres are playing one another for the third time in the postseason since 2020. The winner of this best-of-five series will advance to the NL Championship Series and play either the Philadelphia Phillies or the New York Mets for the pennant.
