LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers back to the World Series with a two-way performance for the ages.
The 31-year-old Japanese star hit three mammoth home runs and struck out 10 batters while pitching shutout ball into the seventh inning, and the third-seeded Dodgers swept the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers out of the National League Championship Series with a 5-1 victory in Game 4 on Friday night.
“That was probably the greatest postseason performance of all time,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. “There’s been a lot of postseason games. And there’s a reason why he’s the greatest player on the planet.”
The Dodgers will have a chance to become Major League Baseball’s first repeat champions in a quarter-century after this mind-blowing night for the three-time league MVP, who emphatically ended what had been a quiet personal performance in the postseason by his lofty standards.
Ohtani was selected the NLCS MVP essentially on the strength of this one unforgettable game.