Shohei Ohtani’s first big-league postseason hasn’t quite gone to plan, at least not on a performance level.
Yes, the Dodgers are in the NLCS. And yes, the 30-year-old superstar has had his moments. But they’ve been few and far between, especially for a slugger of his caliber.
The NL MVP frontrunner looked destined for another subpar showing in Los Angeles’ Game 3 duel with the Mets, as he saw three of his first four at-bats end in the glove of a New York player.
His fifth trip to the plate was a different story. Here’s what you need to know about the latest Ohtani blast that took social media by storm.
MORE: Why Mets wore No. 40 eye black during Game 3 vs Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani home run video
SHOHEI OHTANI WITH A MAJESTIC HOME RUN 🦄 pic.twitter.com/offNvyQfHc
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 17, 2024
Ohtani dealt New York a major blow to its comeback efforts, ripping a Tylor Megill slider that caught too much of the plate into the upper deck of Citi Field’s right field porch.
Ohtani’s struggles as of late have revolved almost entirely around at-bats when the bases are empty. When there are ducks on the pond, he is as lethal as they come: Ohtani entered the eighth inning of Wednesday’s contest hitting .842 with runners in scoring position across his last 19 at-bats.
Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández supplied him with the ammo. Ohtani didn’t make any mistakes when he got his pitch. With one fell swoop — the ball leapt off Ohtani’s bat at 115.9 mph — the Dodgers’ 4-0 lead swelled to seven.
EVERY
SINGLE
STITCHShohei Ohtani knew it right off the bat 😮 pic.twitter.com/T9ma4dyvmb
— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2024
The Ohtani blast seen from @CosmLosAngeles 🔥 @Dodgers pic.twitter.com/1on4VTmHJf
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 17, 2024
Shohei Ohtani postseason stats
| Games | AVG | HR | RBI | H |
| 8 | .226 | 2 | 8 | 7 |
Ohtani’s numbers postseason numbers still look fairly paltry, even after NLCS Game 3 moonshot. Wednesday’s blast represents the second of his postseason career — the first came in his second playoff at-bat earlier this month.
Consider it a reminder to New York’s pitching staff to keep the bases clean when Ohtani is approaching.
