The Los Angeles Dodgers desperately needed the win against the San Diego Padres. A loss at the first leg would have brought a familiar dread over the clubhouse. Remember the last seasons? The Dodgers were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks last year and they managed just six runs in three games. Then the year before that, in 2022, the San Diego Padres knocked them over, winning three straight games, while the Dodgers limped all along. And it looked like the October script for 2024,  was going the same way for them this time around. Until it didn’t. 

The first inning looked all too familiar for Dodger fans. Yoshinobo Yamamoto got rocked before the California sun had set. Machado’s home run capped a three-run inning for the Padres, and the Dodgers were choking. But when it looked like they had reached rock bottom, came their hope—Shohei Ohtani, to rock the Dodgers stadium.

Shohei Ohtani arrives in October with a three-run home run

For six seasons, baseball fans wondered what it would be like to watch Shohei Ohtani in the MLB playoffs. A player who thrives on high-pressure situations, yet never got the chance while playing for the Angels. This time, fans got the answer and so did the San Diego Padres. Because Ohtani was unreal, and in just three innings, he turned the game’s script and changed the Dodger’s postseason narrative single-handedly. 

In his first-ever playoff appearance, Ohtani slashed a three-run home run, which made the crowd mad and shifted the momentum. That swing was the reminder of why the Los Angeles Dodgers gave a $700 million contract for 10 years to the Japanese star—he was worth every penny. Then, Teoscar Hernandez, another offseason addition, gave a two-run single in the fourth running, helping the Dodgers get a lead. But even Hernandez who did great credited Ohtani for the win, saying, “(Ohtani) is the guy that is going to guide us through all this, and we will follow and try to stay and play at the same level.” These two players were key to turning the outcome of the game. 

Max Muncy summed it up best in the Los Angeles Times, “He [Ohtani] injected an absolute lightning bolt into the stadium. From then on it was, ‘All right, we’ve got this. This is not the same as years past.” Truly, before Ohtani Dodgers choked the postseason, and look at them now. Shohei performed like the clutch he was supposed to and also changed the mindset of the players. Mindset, as they say, is everything! And the Dodgers closed the game with a lead of 7-5 against their rival Padres. 

Ohtani reflects on his electrifying playoff debut

The air at the Dodger Stadium was tense. Their postseason records were a distaste from the last two years. But this time they had hope – they had Ohtani in the driving seat. And well, Showtime showed his might, and the entire stadium charged up. That three-run home run didn’t just tie the game, it reignited the team and sent the fans into a complete frenzy. The manager of the team Dave Roberts said, “It’s just got the momentum back for us and just gave us life.” Plus, Roberts said “From pitch one, the fans were just engaged, were in it. I felt that energy and I think Shohei feeds off that. But that was just a huge hit.” And the vibe check of the stadium is something even Shohei agrees with.

Shohei Ohtani, on being asked how he felt about the game, said, “I could really feel the intensity of the stadium before the game began, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.” And well, he delivered to his fans. But don’t be fooled, because Ohtani is no stranger to high-stake moments as such. He has a championship title back home in Japan and was named the MVP of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. But Ohtani, being humble as always, said, “I thought it was pretty exciting,” talking about the intensity of the game.

Ohtani has been ablaze ever since he hit 50 home runs and stole 50 bases. Now the stakes are high, they need to win 2 more games against the Padres. Then Dodgers can proceed to the Championship Series. Do you think they can do it? Let us know in the comments.