Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are a pretty decent trio to have atop your lineup, as the Los Angeles Dodgers showed Saturday.
The former MVPs opened a pivotal division game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with back-to-back-to-back homers off starting pitcher Merrill Kelly. Ohtani got it started with his NL-best 44th homer of the season, then Betts and Freeman inflicted even more damage. All three homers were measured as 400 feet or longer.
The whole thing went down in the span of four pitches.
The Dodgers later reported it was the first time in franchise history that the team had opened a game with three consecutive home runs.
That was only one component of a chaotic beginning to a game between the first- and second-place teams in the National League West. After the Dodgers went down without another run, Diamondbacks center fielder Corbin Carroll hit an inside-the-park homer with a fly ball just past the reach of the Dodgers’ Kevin Kiermaier.
The D-backs scored three more runs that inning to take the lead, but the Dodgers struck right back with an Ohtani sacrifice fly and Freeman RBI single to jump ahead 5-4 in the top of the second inning. Arizona outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. then tied the game with a solo homer in the third inning.
The Dodgers went on to win 8-6, with Tommy Edman playing the hero via a two-run single in the top of the ninth inning. The win improves the Dodgers’ division lead to six games over both the D-Backs and San Diego Padres.
Ohtani’s homer is significant in particular as he attempts to post an unprecedented 50-home run, 50-stolen base season. The two-time MVP has already made history this series with his 43rd homer and steal on Friday, breaking a tie with Alex Rodriguez for the most of each stat in a single season.
With a full month to go in the regular season, Ohtani has plenty of runway to post a season to remember.