Ohtani Becomes First Japanese To Hit 30 Mlb Homers For 2 Years In Row
Two-way baseball star Ohtani Shohei of the Los Angeles Angels has become the first Japanese player to hit 30 home runs in the Major League for two seasons in a row.
Ohtani reached the milestone with a three-run homer in a game against the New York Yankees on Wednesday.
Ohtani started the game in the Angels' home stadium in Anaheim as designated hitter, batting third.
In the sixth inning, with two men on base, he stepped to the plate for his third at bat.
He didn't miss the fastball from Yankees' starter Gerrit Cole and cracked a homer to the center field.
The Yankees' hurler had the most wins in the American League last season. In the current season, Cole has already reached the 200-strikeout milestone, the most in the Majors.
Ohtani's 130.1-meter homer gave the Angels a 3-2 lead. His teammates celebrated by splashing him with water when he returned to the dugout.
The Angels won the game.
Ohtani has also become the first player in MLB history to achieve double-digit wins as a pitcher and blast 30 home runs as a batter in one season.