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Shohei Ohtani returned to his old spot in the batting order for Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.
And right on cue, the four-time MVP found his old swing.
After striking out in his first at-bat Thursday night, Ohtani delivered the kind of moment the Dodgers had been waiting for all October, unloading on a down-and-in cutter from ex-Dodger Dustin May to give the Dodgers an early 4-0 lead in their elimination game.
The 428-foot drive marked Ohtani’s first home run since Aug. 18 –– snapping an MLB career-long 25-game homer drought.
It was also accompanied by a rare show of raw emotion from the 32-year-old slugger, who flung his bat, raised his arms and then looked back toward the dugout with a scream as he skipped up the first base line.
After returning to the bench, he remained fired up while exchanging high fives with his teammates.
Thursday marked the first time this postseason Ohtani had hit leadoff –– having been dropped from his customary spot amid a dreadful slump over the last couple months while battling right arm and left knee injuries.
However, manager Dave Roberts was encouraged by the swings Ohtani had taken in batting practice in recent days, as well as a Game 3 performance in which he reached base three times and roped a 113 mph single –– his hardest-hit ball since June –– in his final at-bat of the night.
Thus, with the team’s season on the line in the face of a three-games-to-none series deficit, Roberts decided to put Ohtani back at the top of the batting order.
The superstar immediately paid off the decision, giving the Dodgers true momentum for the first time in this NLCS.