Shohei Ohtani launched his 40th home run of the season on Saturday night, pushing the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 9-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Dodger Stadium.
In the fifth inning, Ohtani sent a Chris Bassitt pitch 417 feet over the center field wall, stretching the Dodgers’ lead to three runs. Manager Dave Roberts praised the swing, noting the adjustments Ohtani and the hitting staff had been working on.
This is the fourth time Ohtani has reached the 40-homer plateau in his career and the third year in a row he’s done it. He joins Jim Thome and Mark McGwire as the only players to record multiple 40-homer seasons in both the American and National Leagues.
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Ohtani reached the milestone in just 115 games, the fastest pace in Dodgers history. With 45 games remaining, Roberts said it wouldn’t be surprising to see him hit 50 or even 55 before the season ends.
Los Angeles remained three games ahead of second-place San Diego with the win. The Dodgers are now 68-49 on the season. They will look to sweep Toronto on Sunday, before they head to Anaheim to take on the Angels starting on Monday. Over the weekend, the Dodgers and Padres meet in a huge NL West series.
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