Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani hits a solo homerun in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday in Phoenix.
15:55 JST, August 31, 2024
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 43 home runs and steal 43 bases in a single season after hitting one of each on Friday.
Ohtani was a designated hitter against the home team Arizona Diamondbacks and reached base in the second inning when he was hit by a pitch. He then stole second base for his 43rd base of the season.
In the eighth inning, he hit his 43rd home run, a solo shot over the left-center field fence that proved to be the difference as the Dodgers held on for a 10-9 victory.
Ohtani became the sixth member of the elite “40-40 club” when he reached both marks on August 23, becoming the fastest ever to reach the milestone.
With 27 games remaining, Ohtani has a good chance of becoming the first member of the “50-50 club” previously considered unachievable.
The highest combination of the two categories was ever achieved by Alex Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners in 1998, when he hit 42 home runs and stole 46 bases.
