Dodgers’ Ohtani hits second leadoff homer in 2 days

CLEVELAND — There don’t seem to be again and again when you’ll be able to say Shohei Ohtani is making improvements to.

However, the Los Angeles Dodgers famous person is having a perfect May after now not discovering his energy stroke till June 1 maximum seasons.

Ohtani has hit a leadoff homer in consecutive video games for the second one time in his profession.

In Monday evening’s 7-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians, the reigning National League MVP drove a low, inside of fastball from Gavin Williams into the right-field stands for his major-league-leading 19th homer of the season.

According to Major League Baseball, Ohtani is the fourth participant in franchise historical past with a minimum of 19 house runs within the Dodgers’ first 54 video games, becoming a member of Cody Bellinger (19 in 2019), Roy Campanella (19 in 1955) and Gil Hodges (20 in 1951).

It was once Ohtani’s 5th leadoff homer this season and 17th since arriving within the majors from Japan in 2018. It was once the second one time this 12 months he went deep at the first pitch.

It was once the 3rd time Williams allowed a homer at the first pitch, tied with the Athletics’ Jeffrey Springs, Milwaukee’s Nestor Cortes and Boston’s Tanner Houck for probably the most this season.

“Shohei is always going to be aggressive early,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “I think it was more control over command. It was a high-velocity fastball. He was set up away and yanked it down and into his nitro zone.”

Ohtani additionally had leadoff homers in consecutive video games June 25-26 final season in opposition to the Chicago White Sox.

The slugger leads the majors with 12 homers in May and is 5th in RBIs with 23. He was once a .259 hitter in May from 2018 via 2024 however is batting .305 this month.

Roberts mentioned prior to the sport that Ohtani is more likely to throw a bullpen at the group’s off day Thursday after going through hitters Sunday for the primary time in his rehab program. Ohtani is recuperating from surgical treatment on his appropriate elbow on Sept. 19, 2023.

“He did come out of yesterday feeling good,” Roberts mentioned.