April 4 (UPI) — Shohei Ohtani glided his bat high through the strike zone and smacked a fastball deep into the right field seats for a 430-foot homer, his first with the Los Angeles Dodgers, in a win over the San Francisco Giants.
The 105.6-mph solo shot came in the bottom of the seventh inning of the 5-4 victory Wednesday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Ohtani went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
“It’s been awhile, and honestly my swing hasn’t been great,” Ohtani told reporters. “So, overall [I’m] very relieved.”
Ohtani, who signed a $700 million contract this off-season to join the Dodgers in free agency, its now hitting .270 with four RBIs and a stolen base, in addition to his home run. He leads MLB with 37 at-bats.
Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas brought in the first run of the night when he grounded into a force out, scoring third baseman Max Muncy.
Giants catcher Patrick Bailey tied the score with a 393-foot solo homer in the next half-inning. Dodgers catcher Will Smith then plated Ohtani with a go-ahead double in the bottom of the third. Center fielder Teoscar Hernandez followed with an RBI single for a 3-1 Dodgers lead.
Rojas returned for a 383-foot solo homer in the bottom of the fourth, but Giants left fielder Michael Conforto tightened the score with a two-run single in the top of the sixth.
Ohtani came to the plate in the third at-bat of the bottom of the seventh, hitting his deep shot into the right field stands to increase the Dodgers lead.
Designated hitter Jorge Soler answered with a 452-foot solo shot in the top of the next inning, but the Giants didn’t score again. Dodgers relief pitcher Dinelson Lamet finished the night by retiring the Giants in order in the bottom of the ninth, securing his first save this season.
Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow allowed four hits and three runs over six innings to earn his second win this season. Giants starter Kyle Harrison allowed six hits and four runs over five innings to drop to 1-1.
Hernandez went 2 for 4 with and RBI at the plate for the Dodgers. Soler and Bailey each recorded two hits and an RBI for the Giants.
The Dodgers (7-2) will face the Chicago Cubs (4-2) at 2:20 p.m. EDT Friday in Chicago. The Giants (2-5) will host the San Diego Padres (4-5) at 4:35 p.m. Friday in San Francisco.
