Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hit a ground-rule double against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, breaking the franchise record for single-season extra-base hits.
Shohei Ohtani may have already rewritten the record books this season, but he clearly isn’t done hunting for records.
The Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter made headlines when he joined the 50-50 club and set the franchise’s single-season home run record last Thursday. He has essentially locked up NL MVP honors, all while helping Los Angeles clinch the postseason for the 12th year in a row.
Ohtani stayed hot Tuesday, leading off the series-opener against the San Diego Padres with a ground-rule double to right. That marked his 14th hit in his last 19 at-bats, extending his on-base streak to 10 base.
As noted by MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, that double helped Ohtani pass Babe Herman for most extra-base hits in a single season in Dodgers history. Between his 53 home runs, 35 doubles and seven triples, Ohtani has racked up 95 extra-base hits so far in 2024.
Herman’s record had stood since 1930, a whole 28 years before the Dodgers even left Brooklyn.
Ohtani finished Tuesday’s contest 1-for-3 with a walk and a run, making it one of his less impressive outings of the month. The Dodgers also went on to lose 4-2 on a historic, game-ending triple play, cutting their lead atop the NL West to just 2.0 games.
Still, Ohtani is batting .301 with a 1.024 OPS and 8.5 WAR on the season. Los Angeles also gets to close out the regular season against the last-place Colorado Rockies, giving them a chance to make up for whatever ground they might lose against San Diego this week.
Game two between the Dodgers and Padres is scheduled to get underway Wednesday at 10:10 p.m. ET.
