Shohei Ohtani made extra history on Tuesday at PNC Park.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ star hit a solo home run in the third inning of his staff’s 9-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The blast simply cleared the right-field wall in Pittsburgh, flying an unbelievable 120 miles per hour off the bat.
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That made it the hardest-hit ball for the Dodgers in the Statcast period and one of many hardest-hit home runs in recorded MLB history.
Only 5 different home runs in the Statcast period, which began in 2015, have been hit more durable. Pirates star Oneil Cruz holds the file at 122.9 mph, which he set earlier this season.
To add to Ohtani’s accolades, the home run got here off a 99.2 mph fastball from Bubba Chandler. That makes it the hardest-hit home run off a pitch going no less than 99 mph in the Statcast period, breaking New York Yankees star Aaron Judge’s earlier file set earlier this season, by way of MLB’s David Adler.
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The home run was the forty sixth of the season for Ohtani, who entered the night time trailing solely Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in the league. It was additionally the one centesimal homer of Ohtani’s profession with the Dodgers, and he hasn’t even completed his second season with the group. Ohtani hit 54 home runs final season.
Ohtani was in the lineup because the designated hitter on Tuesday, and he has been working his means again to full power on the mound. He pitched 5 innings Wednesday in the staff’s 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds, which marked his longest outing on the mound since becoming a member of the Dodgers. He is scheduled to make his subsequent begin in the Dodgers’ matchup with the Pirates on Wednesday.
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Ohtani’s home run in the third inning Tuesday lower the Pirates’ lead to two runs on the time, and the staff ended up tying the sport again up after the fourth inning. But the Pirates simply again in entrance after placing up three runs in the sixth inning off an RBI single from Henry Davis and a two-RBI double from Jared Triolo. That, alongside with further runs hit in by Triolo and Cruz down the stretch, was sufficient to push the Pirates to the two-run win.
The Pirates now sit at 62-77, which has them in final in the NL Central race. They are effectively again in the wild-card race, too, and are on tempo to miss the playoffs for a tenth straight season. The Dodgers fell to 77-60 with the loss, although they nonetheless maintain a slender lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West.