Shohei Ohtani delivered one of the greatest performances in baseball history as the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers to advance to the World Series.
Japanese Ohtani hit three huge home runs and struck out 10 Brewers batters in a 5-1 complete victory as the Dodgers won the series 4-0.
The 31-year-old's three home runs and 10 strikeouts in a single game are Major League Baseball postseason records, highlighting a rare talent for superior bat and ball control.
Ohtani also became the first pitcher since Jim Tobin of the Boston Braves in 1942 to hit three home runs in one game.
“Today was a lot of fun on both sides of the ball,” said Ohtani, who was awarded Most Valuable Player honors for his heroics.
“I take this trophy and let's get four more victories. We won it as a team and it was truly a team effort. I hope everyone in Los Angeles, Japan and around the world can enjoy some really good sake.” [Japanese rice wine]”
Ohtani entered the game at Dodger Stadium coming off an eight-game drought but led off by striking out three batters in the first frame.
He then starred with the bat in a performance that included a crushing 446-foot home run and a monster 469-foot hit that bounced out of the stadium.
It was another historic achievement for Ohtani, who last year became the first player ever to hit 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season.
“It was probably the greatest postseason performance of all time,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“There's a reason he's the greatest player on the planet. It’s kind of like, you don’t expect it, expect him to do it.”
“It’s just a performance I’ve never seen before. No one has ever seen anything like it. I’m still in awe of Shohei.”
A comfortable Dodgers win opens up the possibility of a World Series showdown against the Toronto Blue Jays or Seattle Mariners, with the latter leading 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.
