One night after joining MLB’s elite 40-40 club, Shohei Ohtani hooked a ball down the right field line at Dodger Stadium that stayed fair on its way over the wall to bring in two runs and give the Los Angeles Dodgers a one-run lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning on Saturday night.
It was the 41st home run of the year for the Japanese star — though the Rays won the game — and a reminder that the 40-40 milestone was a waypoint, not the destination, in a season where Ohtani has underlined his status as one of the best players in baseball despite being limited to only hitting this year due to the elbow surgery he underwent in 2023.
“It’s really more about the winning,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton after the game. “Obviously the record is part of the process, but I think the most important thing is winning the game.”