Who else but Shohei Ohtani to break the early MLB All-Star Game deadlock on Tuesday night?
The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar came to the plate for his second at-bat of the game during the third inning, facing Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck. After drawing a walk in his first plate appearance, Ohtani ignited the crowd during his second trip to the batter's box.
After taking two pitches for balls, Ohtani swung hard on the third pitch and caught it perfectly on the barrel. The baseball traveled 400 feet over the wall in right center field at a speed of 103.7 mph off the bat.
SHOHEI OHTANI #ALLSTARGAME HOMER! pic.twitter.com/Q8QF8nuEbu
— MLB (@MLB) July 17, 2024
Just like that, the National League held a 3–0 lead.
Baseball's biggest superstar ensured that fans' tickets were worth the price of admission. Ohtani's home run was as loud as they come, as the baseball absolutely jumped off the bat after Houck hung a splitter over the heart of the stike zone.
With his mammoth three-run shot, Ohtani becomes the first player in MLB history to both earn a win on the mound as a pitcher and hit a home run in his career at the All-Star Game.
The American League did, however, later take a 5–3 lead on a two-run homer by Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shohei Ohtani Opens All-Star Game Scoring With Towering 400-Foot Home Run.
