Shohei Ohtani matched his career-high with his 46th home run of the season in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday. The game was played under record-tying heat, with the first-pitch temperature reaching 103 degrees, tying the hottest ever recorded at Dodger Stadium.
Ohtani’s home run, a 450-foot solo shot down the right-field line off Tanner Bibee in the fifth inning, was initially reviewed for fairness. In 2021, Ohtani, who was then with the Los Angeles Angels, also hit 46 home runs during his unanimous AL MVP season. This year, he has also stolen 46 bases, aiming to become the first player in Major League Baseball to achieve a 50-50 season.
“I’m trying to be less cognizant of it and moreso just focusing on having good feel at the plate and whenever possible during the game, whether that be stealing bases or moving to the next base, that’s what I’m trying to do,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty (12-6) delivered a strong performance, going 7 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and allowing four hits. Flaherty, who has a 5-1 record since joining the Dodgers from Detroit, noted that he was feeling unwell last week.
“It was fun when you get different elements like that, either really cold or really hot,” Flaherty said. “It was just another challenge. It was fun. You need a little preparation before that. Make sure everything is moving and hydrated. Pretty sure everyone else was hotter than I was out there.”
Max Muncy added a homer in the eighth inning, his 12th of the season, which has been affected by injuries. The temperature for the game was also 103 degrees for Game 1 of the 2017 World Series against Houston. During that game, the Dodgers provided a free bottle of water to all fans.
Ohtani went 2 for 4 in the game but was picked off first base in the third inning. Mookie Betts hit a standup triple in the fourth inning, with Tyler Freeman’s attempt to make a leaping catch resulting in the ball ricocheting off the wall. Will Smith then drove in Betts with a single, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
Bibee (11-7), also from Southern California, allowed two earned runs in five innings and threw 28 pitches in the fourth inning. “Feel like I threw really well, to be honest, but the score doesn’t really reciprocate that,” Bibee said.
In a notable defensive play, Muncy jumped high to catch a line drive off the bat of Josh Naylor in the fourth inning. Manager Dave Roberts joked about Muncy’s athleticism, referencing an inside joke about Muncy’s ability to dunk a basketball. “Muncy and I have an inside joke because he swears he can dunk a basketball,” Roberts said. “Obviously, he’s a bigger guy but I told him I believe he can dunk a basketball now. He got up there pretty good. He doesn’t have that in his game much anymore but fortunately he picked the right spot.”
