On Friday night, Shohei Ohtani delivered one of the greatest performances in baseball history. Los Angeles The Dodgers are back in the World Series.
The Japanese two-way sensation pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, and hit three outstanding home runs that totaled 1,342 feet on an outstanding night.
Ohtani, who signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023, also hit the first home run in major league history just moments after striking out three batters in the first inning.
Friday night's 5-1 win clinched another National League pennant for the Dodgers and completed a clean sweep of a 4-0 victory. Milwaukee Brewers.
Ohtani and his teammates will now compete against either Seattle Mariners or Toronto Blue Jays for back-to-back World Series crowns.
Baseball fans watched Ohtani in awe and quickly took to social media to declare him better than Babe Ruth, considered by many to be the sport's greatest player.
Shohei Ohtani put on one of the greatest performances in baseball history on Friday night.
Ohtani hit three remarkable home runs against the stunned Milwaukee Brewers.
The Japanese two-way sensation also pitched six scoreless innings and allowed just two hits.
One fan said: “Shohei Ohtani hit a home run out of the park. His second home run of the night. He throws a shutout too. Babe Ruth.
Another commented: “Shohei Ohtani is a modern-day Babe Ruth.”
A third wrote: “No more reason to debate. No one has ever played baseball like Shohei Ohtani.
“No one can or will ever do this again. He's the GOAT.”
“I never want to hear about Babe Ruth or Aaron Judge again. Shohei Ohtani is the greatest man to ever play baseball. Period. Strikes out a 3 in the top of the first and hits a HR in the bottom of the first lol,” another fan said.
Sports analyst Skip Bayless was also stunned by Ohtani's performance. He wrote on X: “Shohei, pitching a shutout, had just hit one of the longest home runs ever at Dodger Stadium, his second of the game after his first hit in the first inning. THE GREATEST BASEBALL PLAYER OF TIME.”
Ruth, who died of throat cancer at 53, won seven World Series titles and hit 714 home runs during a remarkable career that spanned stints with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
Ruth started out as a left-handed pitcher and later became a power outfielder, playing 22 seasons in the major leagues before retiring in 1935. In his prime, he hit more home runs than some entire teams and was known for his instincts on and off the field.
During his illustrious career, Babe Ruth won seven World Series titles and hit 714 home runs.
After three hits in the top of the first inning of Game 4, Ohtani struck out the first pitcher in major league history from Brewers starter Jose Quintana.
Ohtani followed with a 469-foot putt in the fourth that cleared the pavilion above the left-field bleachers.
Ohtani added a third solo shot in the seventh, becoming the 12th player in major league history to hit three homers in a playoff game. His three homers traveled a total of 1,342 feet.
“Today was a lot of fun on both sides of the ball,” Ohtani said through an interpreter after the game.
“As a representative (of the team), I take this trophy and let's get four more wins.”
“Sometimes you have to check yourself and touch it to make sure it's not just made of steel,” said Freddie Freeman, last season's World Series MVP.
“Absolutely incredible. The biggest scene and he goes out and does something like that. It will probably be remembered as Shohei Ohtani's performance.”
The powerhouse Dodgers are the first team to win back-to-back pennants since Philadelphia in 2009.
Ohtani was surrounded by his Dodgers teammates as their fans celebrated his third home run.
He was an obvious candidate for series MVP after his outrageous performance.
Los Angeles returns to the World Series for the fifth time in nine seasons and will try to become baseball's first repeat champion since the New York Yankees won the World Series three straight times from 1998 to 2000.
“I'll tell you, before this season they said the Dodgers were ruining baseball,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts shouted to the crowd during an on-field celebration. “Let’s get four more wins and really destroy baseball!”
Capping a 9-1 rampage in the National League playoffs with Ohtani's exceptional performance, the Dodgers are heading to the World Series for the 23rd time in franchise history, including 14 pennants since moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.
Only the Yankees, last year's opponent, have played more games in the World Series.
Los Angeles will have a week off before starting the World Series next Friday in either Toronto or Dodger Stadium against Seattle.
Earlier Friday, the Mariners beat the Blue Jays 6-2 to take a 3-2 lead in the ALCS, which continues Sunday at Rogers Center.
