Shohei Ohtani crushed a solo home run among his two hits as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-3 on Saturday.
The designated hitter gave the Dodgers an insurance run with his National League-leading 28th homer shortly after Miguel Vargas hit a tiebreaking home run leading off the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium.
Ohtani’s blast to right-center off left-handed reliever Bryan Hudson was his first home run in four games and the 199th of his major league career.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a solo home run in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on July 6, 2024, his National League-leading 28th of the season. (Kyodo)
Ohtani reached base in all five of his plate appearances. He tripled in the sixth and finished 2-for-2 with two walks and a hit-by-pitch while also recording a stolen base.
In the first inning, Will Smith followed an Ohtani walk with an opposite-field shot over the right-field wall for his fourth home run in as many at-bats, a day after he homered three times.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers gestures as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on July 6, 2024, his National League-leading 28th of the season. (Kyodo)
Among other Japanese-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 major leaguers, San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish will be placed on the restricted list as he deals with “a personal matter involving his family,” manager Mike Shildt said without giving further details to protect Darvish’s privacy.
The veteran right-hander has not pitched since May 29 as he deals with injuries to his groin and elbow.
Meanwhile, Minnesota Twins third baseman Jose Miranda matched an MLB record when he recorded a hit in 12 consecutive at-bats with his single in the fourth inning against the Houston Astros. He went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Three other hitters have achieved the feat, with the Detroit Tigers’ Walt Dropo being the last one in 1952, according to MLB.com.