Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, proper, and teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto, middle, have a good time with others after the Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 7-2 within the MLB to clinch the Nationwide League West division Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photograph/Ashley Landis)
LOS ANGELES— Shohei Ohtani is headed to the postseason for the primary time in his profession after the Los Angeles Dodgers gained the NL West on Thursday evening by scoring 5 runs within the seventh inning in a 7-2 win over the second-place San Diego Padres.
The Japanese celebrity spent his first six MLB seasons in Anaheim, the place the Los Angeles Angels by no means had a profitable file or performed in October. He signed a $700 million, 10-year take care of the Dodgers final offseason.
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He made a rookie mistake, although. Ohtani wasn’t sporting goggles like most of his teammates through the alcohol-soaked clubhouse celebration. He blinked exhausting a number of instances and his eyes appeared purple whereas speaking to media outdoors the throbbing get together.
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“It stung a bit of bit in my eyes,” he mentioned, smiling. “It was an superior feeling and I’m hoping to have the ability to proceed popping extra champagne.”
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Ohtani went 3 for five, driving in a go-ahead run and scoring one other.
“In the present day I got here to the stadium actually eager to clinch and I’m glad that we have been in a position to try this,” Ohtani mentioned by means of an interpreter.
Ohtani’s blue T-shirt was soaked by means of and his darkish hair dampened. Cigar smoke spilled out of the clubhouse.
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“Shohei was showered with champagne. He’s going to scent like a brewery for the subsequent week,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “That is what Shohei signed up for, that is what he wished to be part of. Shohei’s simply been exceptional this whole season.”
Ohtani just lately turned the primary participant in main league historical past with 50 dwelling runs and 50 stolen bases in a season. He reached 400 whole bases Thursday, turning into the primary participant to take action since 2001.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani pulls off a glove as he walks again to the dugout through the sixth inning of an MLB ga,e towards the San Diego Padres, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photograph/Ashley Landis)
The Dodgers had not clinched at dwelling because the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when cardboard cutouts changed followers within the stands. The final time followers have been available for a clincher at dwelling was 2018.
“It’s whole chaos which is strictly the way it ought to be and it by no means will get outdated,” normal supervisor Brandon Gomes mentioned.
A sellout crowd of 52,433, together with retired Dodgers star Manny Ramirez, packed Dodger Stadium for the finale of the essential collection. They earned their forty first comeback victory of the season, tops within the Nationwide League.
READ: Japan in awe after Shohei Ohtani makes MLB historical past
“Simply quite a lot of struggle by these guys,” mentioned catcher Will Smith, who joined his teammates in donning T-shirts that learn ‘We Personal the West.’
The Dodgers took two of three from the Padres and head to Colorado for a three-game set to conclude the common season.
Their eleventh division title in 12 seasons earned them a first-round bye within the postseason. That may give All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman time to recuperate from an injured proper ankle that he sustained late within the sport. He was on crutches and in a strolling boot after the sport.
The Dodgers improved to 95-64 and can open the playoffs on Oct. 5 at dwelling in a best-of-five Division Sequence.
Smith hit a tying, two-run homer off Joe Musgrove to start out the Dodgers’ rally. Musgrove had held them scoreless by means of six innings because the Padres took a 2-0 lead.
“It obtained everybody going,” mentioned Smith, who has 20 homers in a season for the third time in his profession.
Musgrove gave up a leadoff stroll to Max Muncy. Smith adopted with a 426-foot shot to middle, tying the sport at 2-2. It was the Dodgers’ first dwelling run of the three-game collection.
Pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández singled and took second when Andy Pages reached on catcher’s interference by Kyle Higashioka. Ohtani singled and Hernández scored on an error, whereas Ohtani was secure at second on Fernando Tatis Jr.’s throwing error.
Pages and Ohtani scored on Mookie Betts’ single to make it 5-2.
Pages added a two-run, two-strike, two-out homer within the eighth.
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The rally towards the Padres was dampened by Freeman’s departure after awkwardly colliding with Luis Arraez and the primary base bag attempting to keep away from being tagged for the second out of the seventh. Freeman grabbed at his decrease proper leg earlier than hobbling off the sphere.
