Shohei Ohtani’s historic first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers keeps hitting new heights.
He became the first player in major league history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, surpassing both milestones in Thursday night’s 20-4 victory over the Miami Marlins.
Ohtani got to 50-50 in his 150th game, hitting three homers to reach 51 and swiping two bags to also reach 51.
He had already become the sixth player in major league history and the fastest ever to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases, needing just 126 games.
He’s the only player to hit the 40-40 mark in the same game. He did it in style, too, on a game-winning grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Aug. 23.
The Dodgers have clinched a postseason berth for the 12th consecutive season. 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.
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.
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