LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani delivered a performance for the ages Friday night, leaving Dodger Stadium electrified as he propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. With this win, the defending champions completed a four-game sweep, punching their ticket back to the World Series.
Ohtani, the Dodgers’ two-way superstar, not only dominated on the mound but also made history at the plate. He became the 13th player in postseason history to hit three home runs in a single game, connecting in the first, fourth, and seventh innings for a combined distance of 1,342 feet. On the mound, he was equally brilliant, throwing seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, and striking out 10 batters with a masterful mix of pitches across 100 throws.
“Probably the greatest postseason performance of all time,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “There’s a reason why he’s the greatest player on the planet. What he did on the mound, what he did at the plate, created memories for everyone watching.”
Despite the spotlight, Ohtani credited his teammates for the team’s success. “There were times during the postseason where Teoscar Hernández and Mookie Betts picked me up, and this time, it was my turn to perform,” he said through his interpreter. Ohtani also gave a nod to fans in Los Angeles, Japan, and worldwide, encouraging them to enjoy a celebratory toast of sake after the win.
Ohtani’s historic game came after a postseason that had been uncharacteristically quiet for him. He was 6 for 38 across the first three games of the series and had an eight-game home run drought following his record-setting 55-homer regular season. Yet, when the moment demanded it, he transformed into a sporting superhero.
The night’s feats began immediately: after striking out three Brewers in the first inning, Ohtani hit the first-ever leadoff homer by a pitcher in postseason history. His second home run, a 469-foot drive over the pavilion roof in right-center field, left fans in awe. He capped his historic evening with a seventh-inning blast to left-center, crushing the Brewers’ hopes of a rally.
Ohtani’s three-homer game marked several milestones: he is the first Dodgers player with two multi-homer games in a single postseason and the first player since Statcast tracking began in 2015 to hit two homers in a game with an exit velocity above 116 mph. He also became only the third pitcher in MLB history—and the first in 87 years—to hit three homers while starting on the mound.
Dodgers pitching has been dominant throughout the postseason. Ohtani joined Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow in a rotation that has allowed just 10 earned runs over 64 1/3 innings with 81 strikeouts. His performance in Game 4 continued that dominance and set the stage for the team to enjoy a brief break before the World Series begins next Friday, either against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre or the Seattle Mariners at Chavez Ravine.
“I do see it as a positive to rest, both as a position player and pitcher,” Ohtani said. “We’ve played meaningful, stressful games, and this break will help us recharge.”
Friday’s performance will be remembered not just as a personal triumph for Ohtani, but as one of the greatest single-game displays in postseason history—a night that Dodgers fans in Los Angeles and around the world will never forget.