Ohtani started as the second designated hitter in a 2024 Major League home game against the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on the 13th (Korea time), and scored one hit, one RBI, and one run in four at-bats with his 17th home run of the season.
The Dodgers lost 2-3 after a come-from-behind three-run home run by Corey Seager, but Ohtani’s rebound was promising. Ohtani, who had a two-day home run following the match against Texas the previous day (12th), saw his batting average fall slightly from 312 to 311 (82 hits in 264 times at bat) for the season, but OPS rose from .965 to .970 thanks to the home run.
Ohtani’s home run exploded from his first at bat. In a full count match with Texas right-handed starter John Gray, he rolled up a low slider in the middle of the sixth pitch to hit the central fence. It was his 17th home run of the season, as he measured 105.2 miles per hour (169.3 kilometers) per hour, 424 feet (129.2 meters) and 26 degrees Celsius.
Ohtani is now tying with Marcell Ozuna (18 Atlanta Braves), the No. 1 hitter in home runs in the National League. He tied for second with Dodgers teammate Teoscar Hernandez in the home run race.
Ohtani slowed down with a batting average of 18.9 percent (seven hits in 37 times at bat) with one homer, three RBIs, four walks and 12 strikeouts in nine games from the game against the Colorado Rockies on January 1 to the game against the New York Yankees on April 10. However, his slump did not prolong. 동행복권파워볼
After taking a break on Sunday, he hit consecutive home runs against Texas from Friday to Sunday. Ohtani hit consecutive home runs in three games from the Atlanta Braves on April 5 to the Miami Marlins on April 7.
After the home run, he had no hit or base hit, but the quality of his hit was good. In the bottom of the third inning, he pulled Gray’s second ball into outer changeup and hit 112.5 miles (181.1 kilometers) per hour, but was caught by Texas right fielder Adolis Garcia. He had a 74 percent chance of getting a hit.
In an interview after the game, Roberts also expressed satisfaction. “Otani is in good control of the strike zone. When that happens, he will become the best hitter on the planet,” Roberts said. “Today’s home run was also a really good swing. The opponent team’s defense played well in the second batter’s box. In the last three to four games, Ohtani has really improved.”