Shohei Ohtani homered and stole a base, moving closer to achieving the historic 50-home run and 50-stolen base milestone in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ thrilling 10-8 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. Gavin Lux played a pivotal role, delivering a key single with two outs in the seventh inning, helping the Dodgers rally after squandering a 7-3 lead to avoid a series sweep.
Ohtani’s impressive 47th homer, a powerful 405-foot shot to center field, was complemented by his 48th stolen base, showcasing his dual-threat capability. Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ early offensive explosion featured three other players going deep in the first inning, solidifying their position as leaders in the NL West. Their magic number to clinch the division fell to 11 after the San Diego Padres lost to the Seattle Mariners.
Despite walking 10 batters, including four by starter Bobby Miller, the Dodgers maintained their composure. “It was frustrating again, but it’s baseball. Not everything is going to be clicking at the same time,” third baseman Max Muncy remarked. “We had guys battling up there, and it was good to see everyone not giving up.”
Tommy Edman, switching between batting sides, homered for the fourth time in just 24 hours. His two-run blast off Trey Wingenter in the eighth inning extended the Dodgers’ lead to 10-7, marking the first time he homered from both sides in the same game. “Tommy is otherworldly these days,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised.
The Cubs mounted a late-game threat in the ninth inning, with Michael Kopech loading the bases through consecutive walks to Dansby Swanson, Seiya Suzuki, and former Dodger Cody Bellinger. A pitch-clock violation against Kopech resulted in an automatic ball for Isaac Paredes, whose sacrifice fly brought Chicago within two runs at 10-8. However, Suzuki was caught trying to steal third, and Michael Busch struck out swinging, sealing the game for the Dodgers as Kopech secured his 13th save.
Alex Vesia earned the win with a solid inning of relief, improving his record to 3-4. Ohtani’s performance not only brought him closer to a historic season but also left fans and players alike in awe. “Every night, I feel like he does something that we haven’t seen,” Muncy said, referencing the impressive 118 mph exit velocity and 19-degree launch angle of Ohtani’s homer. “I feel sorry for the fan that tried to catch it.”
