Inside The Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani Home Run Makes MLB, Dodgers History in NLCS Game 4

J.P. Hoornstra|
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning of game four of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 17.
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning of game four of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 17. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

In this story:

Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani entered Game 4 of the National League Championship Series riding one of his deepest slumps as a hitter. He had pitched just twice in the last 30 days.

More news: Former Dodgers Infielder Dies

It didn't take long for him to shake off the rust Friday.

Ohtani struck out the side in the top of the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers, allowing only a harmless walk. He then led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run against Brewers starter Jose Quintana.

The home run was the first ever by a Dodgers pitcher in the postseason. The 446-foot blast was the first leadoff homer by a pitcher — for any major league team — in a regular- or postseason game.

Ohtani began the best-of-seven NLCS with only two hits in his first 14 plate appearances. He had not homered since Game 1 of the Dodgers' Wild Card series against the Cincinnati Reds back on Sept. 30; he hit two home runs that day in the Dodgers' 10-5 victory.

Never a fan of taking batting practice on the field, Ohtani broke with his tradition on Wednesday, one day before Game 3. He even hit a ball onto the Dodger Stadium roof, as he attempted to break out of his slump.

In his only previous pitching appearance this month, Ohtani threw six innings and allowed three runs against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS. That was 13 days ago; Ohtani's last start prior to that game was on Sept. 16.

More news: Dodgers Winning Another World Series Could Lead to Extended Lockout, Says Insider

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said prior to the game that, due to his lack of recent activity, Ohtani would have "soft" limits of 100 pitches and seven innings against the Brewers.

Uniquely, Ohtani could enhance his own chances of winning the potential series-clinching game with his bat. From the outset, he seemed intent on doing exactly that.

Ohtani's home run against Quintana came one year to the day after his leadoff home run in Game 4 of the 2024 NLCS against the New York Mets.

The Mets' starting pitcher that day? Jose Quintana.

Ohtani might not win the series Most Valuable Player award, on account of the Dodgers' many strong candidates and his own poor performance at the plate in the first three games of the series.

Regardless of who gets the award — assuming the Dodgers hang on to advance to the World Series — Ohtani's first inning Friday has a chance to endure as the best by anyone in the 2025 postseason, if not in baseball history.

Latest Dodgers News

More to come on this story from Dodgers on SI.

Published
J.P. Hoornstra
J.P. HOORNSTRA

J.P. Hoornstra is an On SI Contributor. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time, published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.

Share on XFollow jphoornstra
Home/News