Shohei Ohtani Shines on Bobblehead Night as Dodgers Dominate Athletics
May 16, 2025, 02:10 AM ET
LOS ANGELES — In a night that seemed almost scripted for Hollywood, Shohei Ohtani delivered a performance that left fans in awe and the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrating a resounding victory. On his bobblehead night, Ohtani homered twice and drove in six runs, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a commanding 19-2 win over the Athletics on Thursday night. This victory ensured the Dodgers remained unbeaten in their last six series.
The Dodgers, who had a rocky start by losing the opener 11-1, bounced back with a vengeance. They outscored the Athletics 28-5 over the final two games, showcasing their dominance at home with a 17-4 record, the best in the majors. The 19 runs scored marked a new high for the Dodgers against an American League opponent.
“There’s not many more superlatives you can use for Shohei,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts remarked. “He’s just playing really good baseball. We saw it all last year, so he’s sort of just doing what Shohei does, which is amazingly not amazing anymore, I guess.”
The Dodgers’ offensive onslaught was highlighted in the third inning when they batted around. Hyeseong Kim singled in a run, Ohtani launched a deep shot to left-center, and Andy Pages added a 416-foot, three-run homer with two outs, giving the Dodgers a commanding 13-2 lead.
Ohtani’s power display continued as he tied Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber for the major league home run lead with his 15th homer in the fourth inning. This two-run, 418-foot blast to center marked the 20th multihomer game of his career. Ohtani has been on a tear, hitting nine homers in his past 15 games and leading the majors with 48 runs.
Roberts humorously suggested, “We need some more,” referring to Ohtani’s bobblehead nights. “I think that four or five a year isn’t enough, because when he has a bobblehead night, he seems to really perform.”
Ohtani’s contributions weren’t limited to his home runs. He drove in one of the Dodgers’ three runs with a sacrifice fly in the second inning. The Dodgers had already set the tone with three runs in the first, highlighted by Max Muncy‘s two-run homer. They continued to pile on with another three runs in the eighth.
However, Ohtani’s night at the plate ended on a surprising note. With the game well in hand, Athletics backup catcher Jhonny Pereda took the mound in the eighth inning. Pereda, facing the bottom of the Dodgers’ order, gave up three straight hits. With Los Angeles leading 17-2, Ohtani had a chance to add to the lead.
Pereda’s first four pitches to Ohtani were between 62 and 68 mph. Ohtani took a called first strike and later fouled off another pitch. Then, Pereda surprised everyone with an 89 mph fastball. Ohtani’s foul tip was caught, and he went down swinging.
Roberts quipped, “He struck out against a position player, how about that?” Pereda kept the ball as a souvenir, a small victory in an otherwise tough night for the Athletics.
- Ohtani’s performance: 2 home runs, 6 RBIs
- Dodgers’ home record: 17-4, best in the majors
- Dodgers’ series record: Unbeaten in last six series
- Ohtani’s home run tally: Tied for major league lead with 15
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Originally Written by: ESPN.com
