Shohei Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to reach 50 home runs and 50 steals in the same season as his Los Angeles Dodgers clinched a playoff berth with a 20-4 beatdown of the host Miami Marlins on Thursday afternoon.
Ohtani went 6-for-6 with 10 RBIs, three homers, two doubles, two steals and four runs.
He got to 50-50 with an opposite-field homer in the seventh inning, earning a standing ovation from the crowd in Miami.
Ohtani nearly hit for the cycle, as well, but he was thrown out at third trying to stretch one of his two doubles into a triple.
He finished the night with 51 homers — a new Dodgers single-season record, breaking Shawn Green’s mark of 49 in 2001 — and 51 steals.
The Dodgers, who have made the playoffs 12 straight years, got solid pitching from Jack Flaherty (13-7). He went six innings, allowing five hits, two walks and three runs. He is 3-0 in three career starts in Miami, and his 13 wins this season are a career best.
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (4-8) took the loss after wildness limited him to just 2 1/3 innings. He walked five, hit a batter, and gave up four hits in surrendering seven runs.
Miami right fielder Griffin Conine — the son of “Mr. Marlin” Jeff Conine — had a stellar game with a two-run homer, two diving catches and one assist on a double play.
Los Angeles opened the scoring in the first inning. Ohtani doubled and stole third by sliding under the tag that awaited him. Ohtani then scored on Will Smith’s sacrifice fly.
Both teams scored one run in the second inning. Ohtani hit an RBI single and Miami’s Jake Burger hit a 417-foot homer.
But the Dodgers broke the game open with a five-run third inning. They loaded the bases with one out on a hit-by-pitch, Tommy Edman’s single and Max Muncy’s walk. Two straight RBI walks by Gavin Lux and Andy Pages knocked Cabrera out of the game.
Reliever Anthony Veneziano entered and allowed Chris Taylor’s sacrifice fly and Ohtani’s two-run double. However, shortstop Xavier Edwards’ relay throw cut down Ohtani at third.
In the fifth, Otto Lopez singled and Conine homered to cut Miami’s deficit to 7-3.
The Dodgers then put the game away with Ohtani’s two-run homer in the sixth and a five-run seventh inning that featured Ohtani’s second two-run blast.
Los Angeles poured on six more runs in the ninth with Marlins infielder Vidal Brujan on the mound. Ohtani belted his third home run 440 feet to make it 17-3, Edman hit a two-run single and Muncy drove in the 20th run.
Nick Fortes homered in the bottom of the ninth for the Marlins.
–Field Level Media
