Shohei Ohtani led off with one of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ four home runs in the first inning and Tommy Edman went deep twice in the game as the host Dodgers held off the Chicago Cubs for a 10-8 victory on Wednesday. In addition, the Dodgers’ win adds to the excitement surrounding the Ohtani 50-50 milestone.
Edman, Will Smith and Max Muncy belted home runs in the opening inning, all in succession against left-hander Jordan Wicks, as the first-place Dodgers avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cubs. Edman hit one home run from each side of the plate.
Ohtani, who also stole a base, has 47 home runs to go along with 48 steals as he closes in on the first 50-50 season in major league history.
The Dodgers (87-59) remained five games up on the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West. Los Angeles moved 5½ games up on the third-place San Diego Padres.
Seiya Suzuki and Cody Bellinger hit home runs for the Cubs. Bellinger’s three-run home run in a four-run fifth inning helped rally Chicago into a 7-7 tie.
The Cubs (75-71) fell five games behind the New York Mets in the chase for the final NL wild-card spot.
The Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Isaac Paredes hit an RBI single and former Dodger Michael Busch followed with a run-scoring double.
Ohtani’s sixth leadoff homer of the season came on Wicks’ fourth pitch of the game. No. 47 on the year tied him with Bellinger for third on the Dodgers’ single-season homer list, behind only Shawn Green (49 in 2001) and Adrian Beltre (48 in 2004).
Ohtani’s Path to the 50-50 Milestone
Furthermore, Ohtani’s impressive stats reflect his progress toward the Ohtani 50-50 milestone. The combination of his power hitting and pitching skills makes him a unique player. As the season continues, Ohtani’s pursuit of this milestone will be a focal point for many in the baseball community.
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