Shohei Ohtani’s two-way heroics lift Dodgers to series win over Padres

Nearly a month removed from his last two-way start, the two-way star was at the center of it all, lifting the Dodgers to a 4-0 win over the Padres with a leadoff home run and five scoreless innings pitched. For one majestic night, he quieted all the early-season concern about the toll of his dueling roles. It had been a minute since Ohtani last had a game like this.

Shohei Ohtani raked at the start of the night. AP Photo/Gregory Bull He roared when his outing as a pitcher was over. AP Photo/Gregory Bull In his previous three pitching appearances, the four-time MVP had been held out of the Dodgers’ lineup as a hitter.

The three times he did play both ways earlier this season, he went just 1-for-10 at the plate with no home runs. The closest recent analogue came last October, in Ohtani’s historic three-homer, 10-strikeout tour de force in the National League Championship Series. The stakes weren’t as high Wednesday.

But his performance was cut from the same cloth. On the first pitch of the night, Ohtani jumped on an elevated fastball from Padres starter Randy Vásquez and hit an historic leadoff home run. In last year’s NLCS, he became the first pitcher in MLB history to lead off a game with a long ball.