logo
Shohei Ohtani hits two home runs against Giants, ending 10-game drought

Shohei Ohtani hits two home runs against Giants, ending 10-game drought

NBC Sports15-06-2025
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani had never gone 10 games without hitting a homer for the Los Angeles Dodgers until this month.
The three-time MVP ended his drought Saturday night — and then started making up for lost time.
Ohtani hit two homers against the Giants, emphatically reaching 25 homers for the fifth consecutive season during Los Angeles' 11-5 victory over San Francisco.
Ohtani led off the game with his 24th, hammering Landen Roupp's fourth pitch 419 feet deep into the right-field bleachers with an exit velocity of 110.3 mph.
The slugger had gone 10 for 40 with no RBIs since his most recent homer June 2 — although he still had an eight-game hitting streak during his power outage.
'It did feel like I hadn't hit a homer in a while,' Ohtani said through his interpreter. 'In terms of the context of the two homers, I think the first homer was more significant, just being able to score early in the game.'
Ohtani then led off the sixth with his 25th homer, sending Tristan Beck's breaking ball outside the strike zone into the bleachers in right. Dodgers fans brought him home with a standing ovation for his third multihomer game of the season and the 22nd of his career.
He also moved one homer behind the Yankees' Aaron Judge and Seattle's Cal Raleigh for the overall major league lead.
'I didn't realize that,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said when informed of Ohtani's homer drought. 'He has a way of making up for things and leveling things out, so hitting two homers tonight gets him, I guess, back on track. ... I think it seemed like a while. I think there was a lot of chase down below in the last 10 days, so tonight he got the ball up, used the big part of the field and put some big swings together. But yeah, when he goes, it makes life a lot easier for all of us.'
Ohtani had slowed down a bit over the past two weeks since he was named the NL Player of the Month for May, racking up 15 homers and 28 RBIs.
He was back in formidable form against the Giants: Ohtani reached base four times and scored three runs in his first four at-bats, drawing two walks to go with his two homers.
Ohtani hadn't played in 10 straight games without hitting a homer since 2023 in the final 10 games of his six-year tenure with the Los Angeles Angels. He has hit at least 34 homers and driven in at least 95 runs in the past four consecutive seasons.
While his OPS (1.023) is nearly identical to last year's effort, Ohtani is behind the pace in several statistical categories compared to last season, when he became the first player to record 50 homers and 50 stolen bases before the Dodgers won his first World Series title. Most notably, Ohtani has only 41 RBIs in 69 games this season after driving in 130 runs in 159 games last year.
But the two-way superstar doesn't believe his numbers at the plate are due to his increased workload on the mound as he prepares to pitch for the first time since 2023.
Ohtani threw three simulated innings in San Diego last Tuesday, and Roberts has said there's now a chance Ohtani will pitch in a game before the All-Star break in mid-July.
'The live BP is really an important part of the progression,' Ohtani said. 'The intensity is different, so how that feels to my body is going to be different as well, but it's something that I do have to go through to make sure that my body feels right.'
Ohtani remains firmly committed to resuming his career as a pitcher. The Dodgers have always been supportive, despite his value as a designated hitter — and they also could really use his talents now to help out a staff that had 14 pitchers on the injured list to begin the week.
'I do feel like just being the two-way player that I used to be was the norm,' Ohtani said when asked if his two-way work this season is tough on him. 'So last year really was the abnormal year. For me, it's just about getting back to what I used to do.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

USC women's basketball lands top recruit Saniyah Hall. Why she picked Trojans
USC women's basketball lands top recruit Saniyah Hall. Why she picked Trojans

USA Today

time5 minutes ago

  • USA Today

USC women's basketball lands top recruit Saniyah Hall. Why she picked Trojans

Southern California women's basketball team has landed another top recruit. Saniyah Hall, the top female high school basketball recruit in the class of 2026, according to ESPN's rankings, has committed to play for USC after receiving offers from nearly 30 schools, including UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, North Carolina and LSU. The 16-year-old made the announcement on ESPN's "NBA Today" on Friday, saying, USC "felt like home." "It's such a blessing to be in this position, but I think I truly found my home, and I'm ready to tell the world where I'm going," she said before revealing a Trojans shirt underneath her jacket. "I am headed to the University of Southern California. Go Trojans! Fight on." Hall's announcement comes on the heels of her gold medal win with Team USA at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup. She was named MVP after averaging 19.9 points and 6.4 rebounds, shooting 52.6% from the field and 39.3% on 3-pointers. She scored 25 points vs. Australia in the gold-medal game. Her 19.9 points per game may have set a USA U19 record, but Hall said she's proudest of her defense: "I had a lot of steals that game and a lot of blocks." She'll join a Trojans squad that is assembling elite talent under coach Lindsay Gottlieb. McDonald's All-American Jazzy Davidson, the third overall recruit in the 2025 class, who competed alongside Hall on the USA U19 team, also committed to play for USC. The Trojans were 31-4 last season and lost to UConn in an Elite Eight game after superstar Juju Watkins went down with an ACL injury during the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Hall said Gottlieb and her teammates led to her choice to commit to USC. On Friday, she said, "I love all my teammates. The girls there are so fun to be around definitely Lindsay (Gottlieb)... she's definitely there to support me and I've built a relationship with her. She's a great coach." The Ohio native will finish her senior season of high school basketball at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio. Last season, she played for Montverde (Florida) Academy and averaged 20.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks. Hall signed an NIL deal with Jordan brand earlier this month. During her announcement, Hall said, "I don't have anything to prove. I just go out, play basketball. I let my game do the talking. Actions speak for themselves." The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Rangers Predicted To Move On From Former ALCS MVP At Trade Deadline
Rangers Predicted To Move On From Former ALCS MVP At Trade Deadline

Newsweek

time35 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

Rangers Predicted To Move On From Former ALCS MVP At Trade Deadline

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Texas Rangers won the World Series in 2023 and followed it up by missing the playoffs, and it looked to be more of the same this season before their recent arrival into the playoff race. No matter Texas' direction, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic predicts that Adolis García will not be a member of the Rangers after Thursday's trade deadline. ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 23: Adolis García #53 of the Texas Rangers reacts to an inside pitch during the first inning against the Athletics at Globe Life Field on July 23, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 23: Adolis García #53 of the Texas Rangers reacts to an inside pitch during the first inning against the Athletics at Globe Life Field on July 23, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. Photo byGarcía has one more season of team control after this season and has seen a dip in his power numbers from his 39-home run season in 2023, but still possesses the ability to flip the momentum of a game with one swing. A contending team in search of game-changing power, along with elite defense in the outfield, could swoop in and pick him up. After going 8-2 in their last 10 games, the Rangers have clawed back into the race and sat 1 1/2 games back of the Boston Red Sox entering Friday. Their deadline outlook has seemingly shifted in the last couple of weeks due to the resurgence. García could be a piece to flip to add to the Rangers' lineup for the final two months of the season, as they look to make a charge for the playoffs. García provides value defensively and game-changing pop and could net the Rangers a younger, more consistent bat. It feels unlikely that García will be traded, but his controllable period is shorter than other pieces of value. If anyone goes from the current Rangers roster, García looks to be the most possible option. More MLB: Cardinals General Manager Keeping Decision 'Fluid' With Time Running Out

Diamondbacks Predicted To Trade $18 Million Pitcher After Josh Naylor Deal
Diamondbacks Predicted To Trade $18 Million Pitcher After Josh Naylor Deal

Newsweek

timean hour ago

  • Newsweek

Diamondbacks Predicted To Trade $18 Million Pitcher After Josh Naylor Deal

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. On Thursday, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners seemed to start the trade deadline season off with a bang. Arizona agreed to a deal that would send first baseman Josh Naylor to the Mariners in exchange for two talented pitching prospects. FanSided's Zachary Rotman recently predicted the Diamondbacks would continue to make moves following the Naylor trade. Rotman suggested the Diamondbacks would cut ties with Merrill Kelly in another trade deadline blockbuster. PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JULY 20: Merrill Kelly #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a first inning pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals at Chase Field on July 20, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JULY 20: Merrill Kelly #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a first inning pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals at Chase Field on July 20, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona."The right-hander has a 3.32 ERA in 21 starts and 122 innings of work, and if a start in which he allowed nine runs in 3.2 innings in early April were removed, his numbers would look even better," Rotman wrote. "Kelly has gone at least five innings in all but one of his starts, and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 14 of his 21 outings. Essentially, in two out of every three starts he makes, Kelly puts his team in a tremendous position to win, which is why, even while pitching on a Diamondbacks team bad enough to sell, Arizona has a winning record in his starts. "Virtually every contender needs starting pitching help. Kelly might not be a true ace, but he can be a low-end No. 2 or a high-end No. 3 on a World Series team. He's underrated, and can help tilt a postseason series." Kelly makes plenty of sense as a trade chip. He's on an expiring contract and enjoying a very solid season. The veteran seems unlikely to return to Arizona after the season, so a trade is the next reasonable step to take. Nearly every contender could look to land Kelly because of his consistency this year. The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, and Chicago Cubs are just a handful of teams that will likely have interest in Kelly going forward. More MLB: Mets Reunion? Why Latest Trade Rumors Make Perfect Sense For New York

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store