Shohei Ohtani's Two-Homer Day Helps Dodgers Snap Skid and Continue Historic Chase

Shohei Ohtani put the Los Angeles Dodgers on his back Sunday, launching two home runs to help the team snap a five-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The performance not only jump-started the offense but also propelled Ohtani closer to a handful of impressive records.

Ohtani's power was on display from the start, as he connected for his 47th and 48th home runs in his first two at-bats. His first blast was a leadoff home run, his 12th of the season. This ties a Dodgers franchise record, a mark set just two years ago by teammate Mookie Betts. It also moves him into a tie for third on the all-time MLB list for most leadoff homers in a single season. The current record is 15, held by Kyle Schwarber (2024), with Alfonso Soriano (2003) in second with 13.

The win was a much-needed morale boost for the Dodgers, who had suffered two walk-off losses to the Orioles and were reeling from a late-game collapse the night before that cost Yoshinobu Yamamoto a no-hitter.

"It just shows the vibes were high today," Betts said after the game. "We had really good energy today before the game... Shohei jump-starting it lets us know we're fine."

Ohtani's power surge was contagious. Betts followed Ohtani's second homer with one of his own, part of a day where Ohtani reached base all five times he came to the plate. Meanwhile, Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw provided a strong performance on the mound, allowing just two runs over 5 2/3 innings in his first career start at Camden Yards.

The game also had an added layer of intrigue, as it featured the first-ever series with at least one Japanese-born starter in all three games. Ohtani's two home runs came against fellow countryman Tomoyuki Sugano, a pitcher he faced in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball draft over a decade ago.

With his 23rd career multi-homer game, Ohtani is not only helping the Dodgers maintain their one-game lead in the NL West but also solidifying his place among baseball's all-time elite.