Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani makes history with 50 homers, 50 stolen bases
(KTLA) – Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has done something no major leaguer has ever done before: hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.
It came in a game in which he went six for six at the plate, hit three home runs, two doubles and a single — and stole two bases. It was also the first 10-RBI game in Dodgers history.
On Thursday, in the Dodgers' matchup with the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in South Florida, Ohtani hit his 49th, 50th and 51st home runs and stole his 50th and 51st base.
He's the first player in the long, illustrious history of America's past time to achieve the feat.
Ohtani notched his 50th dinger in the top of the seventh inning off of Marlins pitcher Mike Baumann. He hit his 49th home run of the season one inning earlier.
By reaching 50 home runs, Ohtani also captured the Dodgers team record for most home runs in a single season, supplanting Shawn Green atop the clubhouse leaderboard.
But he wasn't done for the day: in the top of the ninth inning, Ohtani blasted a third home run, a three-run smack that gave the Dodgers a 17-3 lead over the lowly Marlins.
Ohtani entered Thursday's game with 48 home runs and 49 stolen bases — numbers no player had ever achieved before, either, and career benchmarks for the two-time American League MVP.
Prior to joining the Dodgers, Ohtani had never hit more than 44 home runs or stolen more than 26 bases in a single season.
In his first year as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani is vying to be the first full-time designated hitter to win MLB's Most Valuable Player award.
The Dodgers closed out the Marlins Thursday with a final score of 20-4 en route to clinching a postseason bid for the 12th consecutive season. Los Angeles currently has the second-best record in the National League at 91-62.