Ohtani sparks sweep with first multi-home run game of 2024
by Christian Romo
The Dodgers acquired two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani knowing he likely couldn’t pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery.
They’re only asking him to hit for now — and in his first 35 games he’s done nothing but.
Behind Ohtani’s first four-hit game and first multi-home-run game of 2024, the Dodgers completed the three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves with a 5–1 victory Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. It was Ohtani’s most prolific game as a Dodger, as the slugger finished 4-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and 80% of the team’s five hits.
“I just feel like overall we’re playing really well, so that’s really helping me have quality at-bats. Just feeling good overall,” Ohtani said.
Ohtani sent a Max Fried curveball over the wall to the deepest part of Dodger Stadium in the first inning to give the Dodgers a 2–0 lead. It was Ohtani’s team-leading ninth home run of the season, overtaking his teammate Mookie Betts for the Major League-lead in OPS as he drove the infielder home.
“When I feel confident that I can hit in that direction, then I know I can cover other pitches well,” he said.
It was just the start of Ohtani’s productive day.
The lefty slugger added singles in the third and the sixth innings, giving him an opportunity to reach four hits in a game for the second time in his career.
He did so with his longest home run of the season — a 464 foot blast to center field in the eighth.
“Slug is part of my game,” he said. “So to be able to express it in a game situation like that, being able to slug was important as well.”
Manager Dave Roberts, whose record for the most home runs hit by a Japanese-born Dodger Ohtani passed on Saturday, said he’s never seen a left-handed hitter put a ball where Ohtani reached on his second home run.
“He just keeps doing things we haven’t seen before,” Roberts said. “That’s deep. People don’t hit the ball out there, whether you’re left-handed or right-handed.”
Sunday was an especially explosive game for Ohtani, but it wasn’t an anomaly in 2024. The two-time American League Most Valuable Player is having the most productive offensive start in his career.
Ohtani in 2024 has set career-high marks in batting average (.364), on-base percentage (.426) and slugging percentage (.685) through the first 35 games of a season. He also has career highs in hits (52), doubles (14) and runs (30), while tying his career mark for stolen bases (7) in the same time frame.
Even when he’s not pitching, Ohtani can still impact the game from multiple angles.
“It’s awesome,” starting pitcher James Paxton said of Ohtani’s contribution to the team. “So much power, great teammate. I’m glad he’s on our side.”
What’s been especially impressive about Ohtani’s bat is how quickly it ramped up after a slow start. He didn’t record his first extra-base hit until his third game. It took him nine games to hit his first Dodger home run.
He’s arguably been the hottest hitter in baseball since then, sporting an MLB-high 1.111 OPS with 10 home runs and 25 extra-base hits on the season.
Roberts said that Ohtani’s day off on May 1 has helped him reset his game.
“That’s something for me going forward to understand when he might need a day to reset, and that two-day blow I thought was big,” he said. “The day before he had the off day, compare it today and yesterday through the series — he’s a different player.”
What’s next
The Dodgers (23–13) host the Miami Marlins Monday at 7:10 pm, with starting pitcher Walker Buehler scheduled to make his first Major League start since June 10, 2022.
Buehler has been recovering from his second Tommy John Surgery — underwent in August 2022 — making six Minor League rehab starts since the start of the 2024 season to ramp up for his first appearance.
