LOS ANGELES — Since joining the Major Leagues in 2018, Shohei Ohtani has consistently expressed his desire to experience the excitement of the postseason and ultimately capture a World Series title.
In just about a week, Ohtani will finally get his chance. Aware that all eyes will be on him, he has already begun to embrace a playoff-like atmosphere during a crucial three-game series against the Padres.
Ohtani rose to the occasion, delivering two pivotal hits and stealing his 56th base, leading the Dodgers to a 4-3 victory over the Padres at Dodger Stadium. This win puts L.A. on the verge of claiming its 11th National League West title in 12 seasons.
After a tough loss the previous day, the Dodgers entered Wednesday’s matchup eager to bounce back. Before the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts anticipated that Padres right-hander Dylan Cease would face a strong challenge from L.A.
The Dodgers did just that, spearheaded by their standout player.
With the game tied at 2 in the fourth inning, Ohtani connected with a slider from Cease, driving it off the right-field wall at a Statcast-projected 116.8 mph. This hit allowed Gavin Lux, who had earlier contributed a game-tying single in the same inning, to score. As Ohtani reached second base, he looked into the home dugout and shouted, “Let’s go!”
But Ohtani wasn’t finished. After the Padres equalized in the sixth with a homer from Fernando Tatis Jr., the Dodgers needed to rally once again. Ohtani stepped up once more, hitting a two-out, go-ahead RBI single against left-hander Adrian Morejon, giving the Dodgers a lead they would hold onto for the win.