On October 17th, in Game 4 of the MLB National League Championship Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1, sweeping the series 4-0.
Japanese star Shohei Ohtani delivered a masterful performance in this historic game. Not only did he start the game, pitching a scoreless six innings with 10 strikeouts, but he also hit three home runs. With this epic performance, Ohtani was unsurprisingly named NLCS MVP, earning his first career award.
Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to strike out 10 batters and hit three home runs in a single playoff game. This combination of numbers is challenging because a pitcher must maintain accuracy despite intense pitching, and the psychological pressure of the playoffs increases exponentially. Previously, no pitcher in MLB history had hit more than two home runs in a single playoff game, let alone combined them with 10 home runs.
He became the first pitcher in Dodgers history to hit a home run in the playoffs, helping the team achieve the best postseason record in nearly 20 years, allowing only two runs in 28.2 innings (with a 0.63 ERA).
According to ESPN, his combined WAR (value above replacement) per game reached 3.2, far exceeding the playoff average of 0.8. This means he created as much value in a single game as an average player would in four games combined.
After this game, he became the first player in MLB history to win MVP awards in both leagues and record three home runs and 10 home runs in a single playoff game. This level of cross-league dominance is unprecedented.
