Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, 30, has become the first Japanese hitter to reach the 200-homer plateau in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Ohtani hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game at 2-2 after starting in the No. 1 spot in the lineup against the visiting Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, USA, on Thursday.
On a one-pitch count against Detroit starter Kader Montero, Ohtani took a changeup up the middle and crushed it over the right-field wall.
Ohtani became the second Asian player to reach the 200-homer plateau.
Only Shin-Soo Choo (SSG Rangers-218) and Ohtani are the only two Asian players to hit 200 or more home runs in MLB.
If the current trend continues, Oh could surpass Shin-Soo Choo this season to become the most home runs by an Asian player.
Oh made his big league debut in 2018, hitting 22 home runs that year and 18 in 2019.
In 2020, he was limited to seven home runs in 46 games due to injury, but he showed no signs of slowing down, blasting 46 in 2021, 34 in 2022, and 44 last year.
Since joining the Dodgers this year, Ohtani has focused solely on his batting role following elbow surgery, and as of Thursday, he leads the National League with 29 home runs.
Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, two walks, three RBIs, three runs scored and one stolen base.
The Dodgers gave up five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to take an 8-4 lead before giving up a game-tying two-run homer to Hio Ursella in the 10th inning of extra innings. 메이저사이트