There’s something about Shohei Ohtani under the summer sun at Chavez Ravine that just feels right.
One week after a frustrating, shortened outing in Cincinnati—cut short by cramps in his right hip—Ohtani looked like himself again inside the friendly confines of Dodger Stadium.
This is the version of Shohei Ohtani we all have come to know and love. The two-way sensation. The unicorn. The one you show your kids on YouTube years from now and say, “He did both. He hit and pitched at an elite level.”
On Wednesday afternoon, the 31-year-old superstar delivered his most promising start on the mound since returning as a pitcher, and then, as if scripted by baseball’s gods, he added yet another unforgettable milestone at the plate.
Against the St. Louis Cardinals, on his 2024 World Series ring replica giveaway day at Dodger Stadium Ohtani gave the packed crowd four electric innings. He struck out a season-high eight batters, allowed just two hits—one a bunt single, the other a fly ball that vanished in the blinding California sun—and didn’t walk a single hitter.
But that was only the half of the story.
In the bottom of the third inning, with a runner aboard and the Dodgers trailing 1-0, Ohtani dug in against Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore. On a 1-1 count, he sent a sinker screaming into the left field pavilion. The ball left his bat at 109.5 mph, traveled 440 feet, and flipped the game on its head, so naturally Ohtani celebrated by flipping his bat. Dodgers 2, Cardinals 1.
It was Ohtani’s 39th home run of the season—and, as the stadium PA announcer let fans know just moments later, his 1,000th career hit.
The crowd erupted. So did his teammates. Ohtani himself gave a shy nod to the dugout with his now infamous Decorté celebration as he trotted around the bases with his usual quiet grace.
What a way to notch No. 1,000.
Justin Wrobleski piggybacked Ohtani’s strong start with three strong innings of his own as the Dodgers tried to take the three-game series with the Redbirds.