LOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani is on the cusp of another career milestone.
By hitting a two-run blast in the third inning of Monday night's 8-7 walk-off win over the Rockies at Dodger Stadium, Ohtani brought himself one long ball away from becoming the newest member of the 300-homer club, an exclusive group of 169 that most recently welcomed teammate Mookie Betts to its ranks.
Ohtani's 299th homer of his career was also his 19th of the season. If the Dodgers had any lingering concerns about the right biceps tightness that caused Ohtani to sit out of Saturday's game against the Padres, the booming shot off Kyle Freeland eased them.
After drilling a 111.8 mph lineout to center in the first inning, Ohtani jumped on a first-pitch cutter from Freeland in the third, launching it out to left-center at 105.9 mph off the bat.
"Tonight was the first time in a while that he really looked like Shohei," manager Dave Roberts said. "Even his out in the first inning was a rocket to the center fielder."
Of Ohtani's 299 career homers, 128 have come in his three seasons as a Dodger.
It was the seventh three-hit game of the season for Ohtani. He followed his homer with a two-run single in a fourth inning in which the Dodgers stacked four runs on the Rockies, which seemed to all but seal a series-opening victory until Colorado rallied for three runs to tie the game against Tanner Scott in the ninth inning. Dalton Rushing eventually walked it off for the Dodgers in the 11th inning.
While Ohtani has come into his own as a hitter this season, ranking third among qualified hitters with a .944 OPS, he's slugging at a lower rate than he did in his first two seasons in L.A. But as he nears 300 home runs, it feels to the Dodgers as if he's coming up on the milestone quite fast.
"We're always talking about the 500 club," Roberts said. "And so for him to get to 300 … it's been pretty dang quick for me."