Sho's 464-ft HR -- 'That's deep' -- caps 4-hit day, Dodgers sweep (2024)

Second HR of day paces Dodgers, who showed mettle against powerful Braves

May 5th, 2024

Sho's 464-ft HR -- 'That's deep' -- caps 4-hit day, Dodgers sweep (1)

Juan Toribio

@juanctoribio

LOS ANGELES -- When the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani this winter, they could just dream of the monstrous homers and the big moments he would produce at Dodger Stadium over the course of the next decade. That’s why they believed he was worth the historic $700 million deal.

On Sunday, Ohtani racked up his first multihomer game and four-hit game since joining the organization in December, and he did it in style. Ohtani’s second homer in the Dodgers’ 5-1 win over the Braves to wrap up a three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium was a no-doubter that traveled a Statcast-projected 464 feet and had an exit velocity of 110.6 mph.

The 464-foot blast was the longest for Ohtani this season and the second longest in the Majors in 2024 behind only his former teammate Mike Trout, who had a 473-foot blast with the Angels. It was also the third-longest homer of Ohtani’s career, and third longest at Dodger Stadium since Statcast tracking began in 2015.

“He just keeps doing things that we haven’t seen before,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “That’s deep. People don’t hit the ball out there [in left-center field]. Whether you’re right-handed or left-handed, day game, night game. He really got into that one.”

While Ohtani’s second homer was the longest and loudest of the afternoon, his first blast was the one that jumpstarted the Dodgers’ offense against left-hander Max Fried, who came into Sunday’s start on a 15-inning scoreless streak.

Ohtani battled back into the count until finally taking advantage of a hanging curveball from the Atlanta ace. The two-time unanimous American League Most Valuable Player launched it into center field to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead that they'd never relinquish.

With the 4-for-4 performance on Sunday, Ohtani is now 11-for-21 with three homers during his current five-game hitting streak. He also became the first Dodgers player since at least 1901 to record 25 extra-base hits in his first 35 games with the organization.

“I just feel like we’re overall playing really well,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “So that’s really helping me have quality at-bats and just feeling good overall.”

Now with Ohtani in the fold, there aren’t many regular-season series that will hold significant meaning for the Dodgers. The reality is, this Dodgers season will ultimately be declared a success or failure based on what happens in October. The club has made it clear that it’s championship or bust.

But in the build-up to the drama that will undoubtedly unfold in October, there are some series that can serve as a litmus test during the regular season. The Dodgers passed that with flying colors these past three games, outscoring the Braves 20-6 in what was a dominant sweep in all areas.

“Playing against a really good team, with us being able to pitch well against a really good offensive team,” Ohtani said, "was really important for us.”

Ohtani is right. While the long homers usually steal the show, it was the Dodgers’ pitching staff that led the way over the weekend. On Sunday, it was James Paxton's turn to deliver his best start as a Dodger, allowing just one run and striking out three over 6 2/3 innings.

Paxton has had a shaky start to the season, largely because of his command. He accumulated three or more walks in four of his first five starts. Against the Braves, it was obvious from the first pitch that Paxton had a much better feel of his pitches, helping his overall command.

“It felt great,” Paxton said. “I finally found some rhythm out there. We’ve been working hard here in between games trying to figure it out, and it just feels good to make some progress.”

If the Dodgers can get Paxton back on track, they could possess one of the best rotations in the National League. Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are starting to give the club everything it wanted when they were acquired this winter. Gavin Stone has been impressive his last few starts, including Friday against Atlanta. Then there’s Walker Buehler, who will return from Tommy John surgery recovery on Monday against the Marlins to make his first start since 2022.

In every way, the Dodgers are playing like the team most expected this winter. Having Ohtani, arguably the game’s most feared slugger, could also prove to be the difference this season.

The Braves found out the hard way this weekend.

Sho's 464-ft HR -- 'That's deep' -- caps 4-hit day, Dodgers sweep (2024)

FAQs

Who did the Dodgers sweep? ›

Shohei Ohtani hits two homers, collects four hits as Dodgers sweep Braves.

Who is the best HR hitter on the Dodgers? ›

Career Home Runs Leaders
Career Home Runs Leaders Top 25 for Dodgers
RankNameHome Runs
1Duke Snider389
2Gil Hodges361
3Eric Karros270
24 more rows

Did the Pirates sweep the Dodgers? ›

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez homered and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-7 on Thursday night to avoid a three-game sweep.

What year did the Dodgers sweep the Yankees? ›

The New York Daily News' headline of October 7, 1963 tells it all for New York Yankees' fans as the Los Angeles Dodgers sweep the New York Yankees in four games for the 1963 World Championship. Sandy Koufax, who had pitched and won Game 1 with 15 strikeouts, stopped the Yankees in Game 4 with a 2-1 win.

Who plays the sweeper in Dodger? ›

Lenny Rush (born 18 March 2009) is a British BAFTA-winning child actor. He is best known for his work on the Daisy May Cooper comedy drama series Am I Being Unreasonable?, on the BBC One series Dodger and the CBBC drama The Dumping Ground.

What happened to Brett Butler Dodgers? ›

He retired in 1997 and began a baseball coaching career. He has coached or managed numerous professional teams. He was the manager of the Reno Aces minor league team from late 2008 through 2013. Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Who was the last 50 hr hitter? ›

The most recent player to reach the milestone is Matt Olson, achieving the feat during the 2023 season.

Who is the greatest home run hitter ever? ›

Barry Bonds holds the Major League Baseball home run record with 762.

Who is the Dodgers best pitcher right now? ›

Team
SO StrikeoutsWhen a pitcher throws any combination of three swinging or looking strikes to a hitter. Strikeouts Glossary
1 Tyler Glasnow P 1 ‌ ‌ ‌104
2 Yoshinobu Yamamoto P 2 ‌ ‌ ‌76
3 Gavin Stone P 3 ‌ ‌ ‌47
4 Michael Grove P 4 ‌ ‌ ‌39
21 more rows

Who is the Dodgers captain? ›

Do the Dodgers have a captain? The Dodgers have not designated a captain on their roster, though most would consider Clayton Kershaw or Justin Turner to unofficially share such title.

What are the Dodgers dodging? ›

According to the club, the name originated in 1896 as the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers. Heavy construction of electric trolley tracks in front of Eastern Park caused fans to dodge the trolleys to reach the park. Those fans became known as Trolley Dodgers and the team took on the name, which was shortened to Dodgers.

Did Roberto Clemente play for the Dodgers before the Pirates? ›

He quickly attracted the attention of the Brooklyn Dodgers who signed him to a bonus of $10,000. However, due to the bonus rule under which Clemente had signed and the Dodgers decision to send him to the minor leagues, they lost Clemente to the Pittsburgh Pirates who drafted him after the 1954 season.

Who was the MVP of the 1963 World Series? ›

The World Series Most Valuable Player Award went to Sandy Koufax, who started two of the four games and had two complete game victories.

Have Yankees ever faced Dodgers in World Series? ›

NEW YORK -- The Yankees and Dodgers have met in 11 previous World Series, more than any other franchise pairing.

Who owned the Dodgers in 1962? ›

After 68 seasons in Brooklyn, Dodgers owner and president Walter O'Malley moved the franchise to Los Angeles before the 1958 season. The team played their first four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before moving to their current home of Dodger Stadium in 1962.

Did the Dodgers sweep the Braves? ›

The Los Angeles Dodgers emphatically struck first in an early-season matchup of NL favorites. Sparked by two home runs from Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 5-1 on Sunday. The win completed a three-game sweep in the first matchup of the season between the NL's top contenders.

Did the Dodgers sweep the Marlins? ›

Dodgers final score: Teoscar Hernández, Gavin Stone sweep Marlins 3-1 - True Blue LA.

What were the Dodgers dodging? ›

According to the club, the name originated in 1896 as the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers. Heavy construction of electric trolley tracks in front of Eastern Park caused fans to dodge the trolleys to reach the park. Those fans became known as Trolley Dodgers and the team took on the name, which was shortened to Dodgers.

Who was the most recent dodger to throw a perfect game? ›

On September 9, 1965, Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched a perfect game in the National League against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium.

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