DENVER — Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hit his 54th home run of the season Friday night against Colorado after stealing base No. 57 to surpass Ichiro Suzuki for the most in a single season of a player born in Japan.
Ohtani finished 4 for 5, including a pair of singles and a double, and drove in four runs in the Dodgers' 11-4 victory. He now has 24 hits in his last 34 at-bats.
“Shohei, he put on a show,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Ohtani is making a big push for the Triple Crown, leading the National League in home runs (54) and RBIs (130). He raised his average to .309 to trail only the Padres' Luis Arráez (.314 after going 3 for 5 against the Diamondbacks on Friday night) in the race for the batting title.
He launched a commanding three-run blast into the second deck of Coors Field in the sixth inning on a changeup from Rockies reliever Anthony Molina. There was no hesitation at the tip of the bat, with the sold-out crowd instantly erupting, an early spectacle before the fireworks that awaited after the game.
“[Ohtani] “He hits the ball very hard because he swings hard and he's a strong man,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “He's a really incredible talent.”
His 408 total bases this season are the second-most in franchise history. Babe Herman set the record of 416 in 1930.
The Dodgers are now 38-12 this season when Ohtani goes to the yard.
“He's focused,” teammate Chris Taylor said. “He's definitely in a zone right now. He's feeling it. We're all just watching him continue to have a good year and he's finishing it strong.”
In the second entry, Ohtani, wearing spikes with an image of his dog, Decoy, stole second place to eclipse Suzuki's mark established in 2001 with Seattle. Suzuki played for the Mariners, New York Yankees, Miami and then briefly returned to Seattle during a career that spanned parts of 19 seasons.
Ohtani has successfully stolen 34 bases in a row without being caught. It is the second-longest streak in franchise history, behind only Davey Lopes' 38 in 1975.
Ohtani is 57-for-61 in stolen base attempts this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
