Shohei Ohtani electrified the baseball world with a historic performance in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night,hitting two home runs and totaling four extra-base hits – tying a postseason record. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3, taking a 2-1 series lead.
Ohtani’s power display marks a pivotal moment in the series and further cements his status as a global baseball icon. his four extra-base hits equal the postseason record set by Randy Arozarena in 2020. This performance comes as Ohtani prepares for his first World Series start on the mound in Game 4 on Tuesday night, adding another layer of anticipation to his already remarkable postseason run.
Ohtani’s first home run, a 389-foot drive, landed inside the right-field pole in the third inning. He later tied the game at 5-4 in the seventh with a 401-foot shot to left-centre, answering a go-ahead home run by the Blue jays. Both were solo shots, bringing his postseason home run total to eight, trailing onyl Arozarena’s record of ten.
Prior to his home runs, Ohtani doubled on Max Scherzer’s second pitch of the game, but his teammates were unable to capitalize. He later doubled to left-center in the fifth inning, scoring the tying run on a single by Freddie Freeman. This double was notable as his first opposite-field hit in 77 at-bats, dating back to September 20.
The Blue Jays strategically replaced Scherzer with left-hander Hagen Fluharty before Ohtani’s fifth-inning at-bat, recalling Fluharty’s previous success in striking out Ohtani with the bases loaded in a regular-season game in August. However,Ohtani’s subsequent double proved crucial.
Ohtani previously homered twice in the Dodgers’ first postseason game against Cincinnati, but hadn’t hit another until his NLCS performance. All eight of his postseason home runs have been solo shots.
