Highest Paid Athlete in the World Shohei Ohtani continued his Midas touch in MLB 2024 season with a first postseason home run of his MLB career. He help the Los Angeles Dodgers claim a 7-5 victory over the San Diego Padres in a thrilling playoff duel on Saturday. Ohtani delivered a spectacular performance launching a three-run home run into right field off Padres starter Dylan Cease in the second inning, helping the Dodgers equalize at 3-3. The Dodgers initially fell behind 3-0 due to a strong first-inning showing from the Padres. This marked Ohtani's first postseason game.
"The stadium was electric and I was just really able to enjoy the game today. He's a good pitcher and it's not easy to get him, but I really wanted to make sure that I could hit one," Ohtani said .
Dodgers Comeback
As Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto faced challenges on the mound, the Padres regained the lead in the third inning with Xander Bogaerts' two-run double, bringing the score to 5-3. However, Ohtani sparked another Dodgers comeback in the fourth inning with a single that loaded the bases. Tommy Edman scored to narrow the deficit to 5-4 before Teoscar Hernandez added two runs with a single to right field, making it 6-5. Will Smith then crossed the plate in the fifth inning, extending the lead to 7-5.
The game ended in tense fashion in the ninth inning as the Padres put two runners on base, but Dodgers closer Blake Treinen struck out Manny Machado to secure the 7-5 win, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five National League Division Series. Game two is set for Sunday in Los Angeles.
Hernandez praised Ohtani after the game, stating, "Shohei is Shohei -- I don't think there's anybody playing like him right now. I'm just glad he's on our team."
New York Victories
In other playoff action on Saturday, the New York Mets and New York Yankees both secured wins, while the Cleveland Guardians also emerged victorious in their postseason opener. The Mets, fresh off a dramatic ninth-inning comeback against the Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card round, continued their momentum with a 6-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in their National League Division Series matchup. The Phillies took an early lead when Kyle Schwarber hit a leadoff homer, but ace Zack Wheeler held the Mets scoreless for seven innings, allowing only one hit while striking out nine.
However, the Mets exploded in the eighth inning, scoring five runs to seize a 5-1 lead, ultimately clinching the win and leaving Citizens Bank Park in stunned silence. "We know we're good, and we've got good players. And we are executing," said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.
In the American League, the Yankees triumphed over the Kansas City Royals 6-5 in a tightly contested battle, taking a 1-0 series lead. Alex Verdugo was the standout for New York, driving in the decisive single that scored Jazz Chisholm in the bottom of the seventh inning, marking the game's sixth lead change.
Meanwhile, in Cleveland, Lane Thomas powered the Guardians to a 7-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers with a three-run homer off reliever Reese Olson. The Guardians scored five runs without an out in the first inning.
