Shohei Ohtani becomes third Japanese-born player to reach 1,000 career MLB hits

Shohei Ohtani dominated both on the mound and at the plate Friday, delivering what may be one of the greatest single-game performances in postseason history, according to NewYork Post

Shohei Ohtani crushed three home runs and threw six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts, leading the Dodgers to their second consecutive NL pennant and fifth in nine years. Named NLCS MVP, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history, regular season or postseason, to hit three homers and record 10 strikeouts in the same game.

Shohei Ohtani added another major milestone to his career on Wednesday as the Los Angeles Dodgers fell 5 to 3 to the St Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. The two way star launched a 440 foot two run homer to center field, marking the 1000th hit of his Major League Baseball career, according to AOL report.

The home run, Ohtani's 39th of the season, gave the Dodgers a 2 to 1 lead at the time. With the hit, Ohtani became the third Japanese born player to reach 1000 MLB hits, joining Ichiro Suzuki with 3089 and Hideki Matsui with 1253.

A three time MVP and five time All Star, Ohtani is now one of four active Dodgers to record at least 1000 career hits, alongside Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Teoscar Hernandez.

In addition to the milestone at the plate, Ohtani also started on the mound for Los Angeles. He allowed one run on two hits while striking out a season high eight batters over four innings. Offensively, he went 1 for 3 with a walk, a strikeout, and the two run homer.

This is Ohtani's second season with the Dodgers after spending six years with the Los Angeles Angels, where he earned two of his three MVP awards.

Also read: Shohei Ohtani homers twice as Dodgers avoid another letdown vs. Orioles

Looking ahead, Ohtani is set to face the Milwaukee Brewers, who are 9 for 89 with 30 strikeouts in the series. They have managed just one hit in 27 at bats against breaking balls, a key part of Ohtani's pitching arsenal, and will now face his high velocity fastball as well, according to Marca report.

Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani is ready to take control of the next game. “I think this is his opportunity to make his mark on this series,” Roberts said. “And, so, we're going to see his best effort. So, I feel good that he's pitching for us.”

Source: HindustanTimes
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