by Cary Osborne
Dumbfounded.
Awestruck.
In disbelief.
Those are three ways to describe the faces of Dodger players standing along the railing in the dugout after Shohei Ohtani’s second home run of Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Friday — the eighth home run to clear the roof in the stadium’s 64-season history.
Then …
“It’s kind of funny,” third baseman Max Muncy begins. “There wasn’t one person in the dugout that didn’t think he wasn’t going to hit another home run. He hits the second one, and we’re all like, ‘Is this the single greatest game that anyone’s ever played? And everyone at the same time is kind of just like, ‘You know he’s going to hit a third one. Right?’”
Sure enough, Ohtani hit a third.
Muncy is part of a chorus of people on the Dodgers side saying Ohtani’s performance on Friday is the greatest performance in Major League history — not just postseason history.
“Through four innings, on our group Slack (messenger), I said, ‘This is the greatest four innings ever played by a Major League player,’” said Dodger President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman. “Then he hits another one, and it’s the best seven innings ever. There’s no question it’s the greatest performance ever.”
Ohtani’s three home runs in the batter’s box and his six-shutout innings on the mound (with 10 strikeouts) is unprecedented in Major League history.
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And Ohtani’s teammates were buzzing after the game from what they had just seen.
Ohtani came into the game 2-for-11 in the NLCS. He was 3-for-29 in the NL Division Series and NLCS coming into Friday.
“He has contributed. But without the Shohei that we all know,” said shortstop Mookie Betts. “Really, just to tell us, ‘Hey guys, I got it. You guys did enough. I’ll take it over from here.’ It’s super special.”
Ohtani led off the game for the Dodgers in the bottom of the first inning with a home run after striking out the side in the top of the first.
When the second homer was hit in the fourth inning, one of the most difficult views was from the Dodger bullpen on the left field side. The stadium erupted as the ball soared with the intent of leaving the ballpark.
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“I couldn’t believe it,” said reliever Alex Vesia. “It was hit. We looked at how fast it was. A couple of people told us it was hit out of the stadium.”
Vesia shook his head.
Ohtani’s third homer — a shot to left-center field (going the opposite way) made him the 12th player in MLB postseason history to hit three homers in a game.
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Utilityman Kiké Hernández knows the feeling. He hit three homers in Game 5 of the 2017 NLCS for the Dodgers.
“Unfortunately, I played left field at the time, and I didn’t get to punch all those people that he punched out tonight,” Hernández said of the difference — Ohtani pitching and striking out 10. “And my homers were just like right here (Hernández puts his hands together, signifying that his homers didn’t travel as far). And his homers were really, really far. One, he got to enjoy every one of his, and he also got to strike people out. What a person!”
“He’s the only who can do that,” said outfielder Teoscar Hernández. “He did it last year in Miami — that’s the closest without pitching. Shohei is impressive. He’s going to continue to do amazing things. He’s the only one who could do it.”
This is the same person who, on Sept. 19 last year, became the first 50/50 player in MLB history when he went 6-for-6 with three home runs, 10 RBI, two stolen bases and 17 total bases.
Layer in the pitching, which has many putting Friday’s game as the bar.
He earned 19 swings and misses on 52 swings. He allowed two hits and no runs. It’s the fifth game in Dodger postseason history in which a pitcher went at least six innings, allowed no runs and struck out at least 10 batters. The other names on the list are Blake Snell (in NLCS Game 1), Clayton Kershaw and Sandy Koufax (twice).
“I think we’re in a simulation. I don’t believe it,” said fellow starter Tyler Glasnow, who allowed one run and struck out eight over 5 2/3 innings in Game 3. “It’s crazy. Three homers. The way he pitched. Just the energy it takes to do all of that. The mental fortitude it takes to stay locked in is impressive.”
What does it take to have a performance like that?
“It takes a Shohei,” Glasnow said.
2025 NLCS: In the words of Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani’s singular night was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.