Ohtani Shatters 50-Homer, 50-Stolen Base Milestone in Memorable Performance Against the Marlins
Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani made baseball history on Thursday against the Marlins at loanDepot Park, becoming the first player in Major League history to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. Ohtani’s historic moment came in the seventh inning when he smashed a two-run homer over the left-field wall, cementing his place in the record books.
But Ohtani wasn’t done yet.
In the ninth inning, Ohtani sent another ball flying 440 feet to right-center for his third home run of the game, a three-run blast off infielder-turned-pitcher Vidal Bruján. This capped off an extraordinary night where Ohtani went 6 for 6, drove in 10 RBIs, scored four runs, and stole two bases—one of which was his 50th steal of the season.
“He’s the most talented player I’ve ever seen,” said Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. “What he’s doing is something I’ve never witnessed before, and if he keeps this up for a few more years, he might go down as the greatest to ever play the game.”
Ohtani’s monumental performance took place at the same stadium where he led Japan to victory in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Reflecting on his incredible achievements, Ohtani shared, “This stadium holds some of the most unforgettable moments in my career. It’s become one of my favorites.”
As for his 50th home run, Ohtani admitted, “Honestly, I wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. Every time I came up to bat, they were switching out balls.”
Ohtani’s seventh-inning homer off reliever Mike Baumann earned him a standing ovation from the largely pro-Dodgers crowd. Baumann later shared his thoughts on facing Ohtani: “I was trying to treat it like any other at-bat, but the crowd’s energy was undeniable. The adrenaline was definitely there.”
Despite Ohtani’s heroics, Baumann remained composed, saying, “I’d throw that pitch again. It was my best one, but he just put a great swing on it. You’ve got to tip your cap to that.”
By the time Ohtani took the plate in the seventh, the Dodgers were comfortably ahead 12-3. Schumaker acknowledged that walking Ohtani in that situation wasn’t an option: “You don’t walk a guy in a game like that. It’s bad karma, bad for the baseball gods. You have to go after him.”
Ohtani’s performance wasn’t limited to the long ball. He started the game with a double and swiped third base as part of a double steal with Freddie Freeman. Later, after a single in the next inning, he stole his 51st base of the season.
On the Marlins’ side, starting pitcher Edward Cabrera struggled after a solid first two innings. He was pulled in the third after allowing seven earned runs, marking his shortest start since early May. Despite two stellar previous outings, Cabrera admitted, “My pitches weren’t landing where I needed them to.”
While the Marlins were outmatched, rookie right fielder Griffin Conine made several standout defensive plays, including a diving catch and a double play, alongside hitting a two-run homer. Jake Burger and Nick Fortes also homered for Miami.
In roster moves, the Marlins reinstated Bruján and outfielder Derek Hill from the injured list, while optioning outfielder David Hensley to Triple-A and designating infielder José Devers for assignment.
The Marlins will look to play spoiler in their upcoming series against the Braves and Twins, both vying for Wild Card spots.
