September 20 – Shohei Ohtani becomes the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 runs in the same season, as his team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, beat host Miami 20–4 on Thursday afternoon and the Marlins clinched a spot in the playoffs.
Ohtani went 6-for-6 with 10 RBIs, three home runs, two doubles, two steals and four runs.
He hit a home run in the seventh inning to make the score 50–50, earning a standing ovation from the Miami crowd.
Ohtani nearly hit for the cycle as well, but was thrown out at third while trying to turn one of his two doubles into a triple.
He hit 51 home runs that night – a new Dodgers single-season record, breaking Shawn Green’s mark of 49 set in 2001 – and also had 51 steals.
The Dodgers, who have made the playoffs for the 12th consecutive year, get solid pitching from Jack Flaherty (13-7). He pitched six innings, allowing five hits, two runs and three walks. His career record in three starts at Miami is 3-0, and his 13 wins this season are the best of his career.
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (4-8) suffered the loss because of a wild streak that limited him to just 2 1/3 innings. He reached base five times, struck out one batter, allowed four hits and struck out seven.
Miami right fielder Griffin Conine – son of Jeff “Mr. Marlin” Conine – had a big game, hitting a two-run homer, two diving catches and a double play assist.
Los Angeles scored first in the first inning. Ohtani doubled and slid under the tag, and stole third that was waiting for him. Ohtani later scored on Will Smith’s sacrifice fly.
The two teams scored one point each in the second game. Ohtani got an RBI hit and Miami’s Jake Berg hit a 417-foot home run.
But the Dodgers blew the game open with five runs in the third inning. They loaded the bases on a pitch-by-pitch basis on Tommy Edman’s single and Max Muncy’s walk. Back-to-back RBIs by Gavin Lux and Andy Page knocked Cabrera out of the game.
Reliever Anthony Veneziano came in to set up Chris Taylor’s sacrifice fly and Ohtani’s two-run double. However, a pitch to Ohtani from shortstop Xavier Edwards dropped him at third.
In the fifth inning, Otto López singled and Koenning hit a home run, putting the score back up to 7–3 for Miami.
The Dodgers then took the game away with Ohtani’s two-run homer in the sixth inning and a five-run homer in the seventh inning, including Ohtani’s second two-run homer.
Los Angeles put six more runs on the board in the ninth inning with Marlins infielder Vidal Brujon homering. Ohtani hit his third home run from 440 feet to make the score 17–3, Edman had a two-run single and Muncy drove in his 20th run.
Nick Fortes homered for the Marlins in the ninth inning.
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