Ohtani Celebrates 1,000th Hit with Home Run and Strikes Out Eight

On Wednesday, Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way sensation, marked a significant milestone by hitting his 1,000th career hit—a two-run home run—while also striking out eight batters in a standout performance against the St. Louis Cardinals.

This game was only Ohtani's eighth start since joining the Dodgers, following a year-long recovery from elbow surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2024 season. He pitched four innings, his longest outing of the current season, allowing just one run on two hits as he continues to build up his stamina for a full return to starting duties.

In a pivotal moment during the third inning, Ohtani struck out Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera with a sharp breaking ball. Moments later, he launched a 440-foot homer to deep center field, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead at that point. This home run not only marked his 1,000th hit in Major League Baseball but also his 264th career home run. When factoring in his statistics from Nippon Professional Baseball, Ohtani's total career hits rise to 1,297, with 312 home runs.

With this latest home run, Ohtani has now hit 39 homers this season, placing him just three behind Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners for the league lead.

Despite Ohtani's impressive performance, the Dodgers fell to the Cardinals 5-2. The team's bullpen struggled to contain late-game scoring from St. Louis, which included two RBIs from Lars Nootbaar.

As Ohtani continues to shine on both sides of the game, fans eagerly anticipate what further milestones he will achieve this season.