LOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani didn't wait long to give the Dodger Stadium crowd something to cheer about in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Rangers. Leading off the first inning, Ohtani launched an 86.5 mph slider from Jack Leiter into the right-field seats, marking his first extra-base hit at home this season and his 25th career leadoff home run -- signaling that the Dodgers’ two-way superstar is beginning to heat up.
The home run did more than just provide an early lead; it extended Ohtani’s on-base streak to 45 consecutive regular-season games. With the first-inning blast, Ohtani moved into sole possession of fifth place on the Dodgers’ all-time list for the longest on-base streaks since 1900, surpassing Len Koenecke (1934) and Zack Wheat (1919-20). He now trails only Ron Cey (47), Willie Keeler (50), Shawn Green (53) and Duke Snider (58) in franchise history.
Ohtani's homer set the tone for the night, as a few batters later Teoscar Hernández clubbed a three-run home run of his own to stake the Dodgers to a 4-1 lead they wouldn't relinquish en route to securing a series victory over Texas.
The milestone comes one night after Ohtani made history by surpassing Ichiro Suzuki for the longest on-base streak by a Japanese-born player in Major League history. While Friday’s record-breaker was a modest fifth-inning single, Saturday’s leadoff homer was a reminder of the power that has defined Ohtani’s career. Before this homestand, manager Dave Roberts noted that while Ohtani had been drawing walks and reaching consistently, the power stroke was the final piece of the puzzle to getting hot.
On the Dodgers’ broadcast on SportsNet LA, play-by-play announcer Stephen Nelson remarked that Roberts had a feeling it was coming.
“I know Ohtani doesn’t have an extra-base hit or an RBI yet here at home,” said Roberts (via Nelson on the air). “Kinda crazy. But trust me it’s coming, and I think it’s coming tonight.”
Ohtani’s streak dates back to Aug. 23 of last season and is currently the longest active streak in the Majors. In just his third year in Los Angeles, he is already consistently moving past franchise legends on the team's all-time leaderboards.