Shohei Ohtani Smashes 3 Home Runs in One Night, Making MLB History

Shohei Ohtani added another milestone to his unprecedented career Friday night, detonating his first-ever “splash hit” into McCovey Cove during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ series opener against the San Francisco Giants. The two-way megastar ambushed Logan Webb’s first-pitch cutter, sending a 410-foot laser over Oracle Park’s right-field wall at 106 mph exit velocity as kayakers scrambled for the historic souvenir—the 107th splash hit in ballpark history and the first by a Dodger since 2021. The blast snapped L.A.’s six-game skid and kept Ohtani atop the National League home-run leaderboard with 31 long balls, already a franchise record before the All-Star break. While terrorizing pitchers at the plate (.998 OPS), the 31-year-old is simultaneously accelerating his long-awaited return to the mound after elbow surgery. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed Ohtani will make his fifth start of the season Saturday afternoon (1:05 p.m. PT) in San Francisco, likely stretching past the two-inning opener role he’s held so far. Through four abbreviated outings, the right-hander has dominated—allowing one run on four hits over six innings (1.50 ERA) with six strikeouts and a single walk—while the club carefully builds his pitch count. Rookie Emmet Sheehan is slated to piggy-back Saturday as the Dodgers prioritize Ohtani’s long-term health. Saturday’s start will be Ohtani’s final tune-up before he headlines next week’s Midsummer Classic, positioning himself for a potential fourth MVP trophy and fueling already-surging hype around the Dodgers-Giants rivalry. With Oracle Park’s tide now literally turned by his latest feat, the baseball world will again watch to see whether Shohei Ohtani can make waves from 60 feet 6 inches away—and reclaim command of the tightening NL West race.