LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani is at it again.
The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar hit his 52nd home run and stole his 52nd base on Friday night, breaking the major league record for going deep and stealing in the same game.
It’s the 14th time Ohtani has achieved the feat, bettering Rickey Henderson’s mark of 13 games set in 1986 with the New York Yankees.
Ohtani’s heroics occurred a night after becoming the first player in major league history with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases.
He reached on an infield single to first base in the seventh and then stole second.
Ohtani’s 52nd homer off a 3-2 pitch from Kyle Freeland traveled 423 feet to center field, scoring Max Muncy who doubled and put the Dodgers ahead 3-2 with two outs in the fifth inning.
Ohtani keeps showing a flair for the dramatic during his historic first season with the Dodgers.
In Miami on Thursday, Ohtani had the first three-homer game of his career — all coming after the sixth inning — his first six-hit game and a franchise and career-record 10 RBIs. No one in MLB history has done that before.
He finished the night with 51 homers and 51 steals.
“Going for a home run is not the ideal way for me to hit a home run, so I try to focus on quality at-bats,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
He also stole two bases and nearly hit for the cycle, but was thrown out at third trying to stretch his second double into a triple while showing off his rare combination of speed and power.
Ohtani was greeted with a standing ovation as he led off the first inning Friday. Chants of “MVP! MVP!” rang out and fans stayed on their feet with their phones out to record his at-bat. Ohtani went down swinging but the crowd applauded again as he walked back to the dugout.
He was the fastest player to reach the 40-40 mark with a ninth-inning grand slam against Tampa Bay in his 126th game on Aug. 23 .
Now he has nine games left to see what else he can do in the regular season.
“Knowing him, he’s probably looking at 60-60,” Roberts said. “I would say it’s very unrealistic, but with him anything’s possible.”
The Dodgers clinched a postseason berth for the 12th consecutive season with their 20-4 rout of the Marlins on Thursday. It’s nothing new for them, but it is for Ohtani. He has played 865 games without making a postseason appearance, more than any other active player.
“He will be very prepared and focused,” Roberts. “I think the whole world is looking forward to him in October.”
Ohtani made it clear in signing a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December that competing for a championship is what drives him.
“The No. 1 goal is to get to the postseason and win the World Series,” he said last month.
During his six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, they never made the playoffs or had a winning record.
The NL West-leading Dodgers are looking to lock up their 11th division title in 12 seasons.
Ohtani’s amazing feats are occurring during a season in which his closest friend betrayed him and he isn’t pitching while he rehabilitates from elbow surgery last offseason.
He skipped the Home Run Derby during All-Star weekend in July to avoid potential further injury, although as designated hitter he slugged a three-run homer in the National League’s loss.
Not pitching has kept Ohtani’s arms and legs fresher and quicker, while allowing him to focus and improve on other parts of his game. He’s honed his craft of running and stealing bases, learning how to get good jumps off opposing pitchers by studying video of their tendencies.
Dodgers fans could be witnessing a once in a generation side of Ohtani’s game. Once he resumes pitching every five days next year, his legs may not allow him to steal as many bases.
The Ohtani effect is visible off the field, too.
Fans created mob scenes in and around Dodger Stadium during his two bobblehead giveaways. The final Ohtani promotion is Saturday when T-shirts featuring his likeness will be given to the first 40,000 fans.
Japanese tourists flock to the stadium for tours, resulting in the team adding more Japanese-speaking guides. The team has signed a slew of Japanese sponsors, too.
“He’s one of one,” Roberts said.
