Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, second from left, hits a solo home run as Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee, left, looks on with catcher Bo Naylor, right, and home plate umpire Dan Bellino during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Los Angeles.
10:07 JST, September 9, 2024
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his 46th home run of the season to tie his career-high, Jack Flaherty had another gem and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cleveland Guardians 4-0 in a record-breaking game on Sunday.
The first pitch was 104 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest temperature in Dodger Stadium history. In the fifth inning, Ohtani hit a 450-foot solo shot down the right-field line off Tanner Bibee. The score was reviewed to see if it was fair.
Ohtani also hit 46 home runs for the Los Angeles Angels in his unanimous AL MVP season in 2021. The Japanese star has 46 stolen bases in an effort to become the first major league player to have a 50-50 season.
“I try to be less conscious of it and more focused on having a good feeling at the plate and whenever I can during the game, whether it’s stealing bases or getting to the next base, that’s what I try to do,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
Flaherty (12-6) went 7 1/3 innings, struck out six and allowed four hits. The Southern California native is 5-1 since arriving in a trade from Detroit. He said he also wasn’t feeling well last week.
“It was fun when you had such different elements, whether it was really cold or really hot,” Flaherty said. “It was just a different challenge. It was fun. You have to do a little bit of preparation. Keep everything moving and hydrated. I’m sure everyone was hotter than me.”
Max Muncy hit an eighth-inning home run for the Dodgers, his 12th of an injury-shortened season.
Speaking of scorching temperatures, it was also 103 for the first pitch of Game 1 of the 2017 World Series against Houston. The Dodgers provided a voucher for a free bottle of water to all fans.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (right) is tagged out by Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor as he dives back to first base during the third inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Ohtani was 2-for-4. He was thrown out at first base in the third inning.
Mookie Betts hit a standup triple in the fourth inning. Tyler Freeman tried to make a leaping catch at the wall, but the ball ricocheted off the wall. Will Smith singled in for a 1-0 lead.
Bibee (11-7), also of Southern California, allowed two earned runs in five innings. He threw 28 pitches in the fourth inning.
“I honestly feel like I threw really well, but the score doesn’t really reflect that,” Bibee said.
