Master Sho-man

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Shohei Ohtani produced one of the greatest all-round performances in baseball history as the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers punched their ticket to the World Series on Friday by wrapping up a 4-0 series sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Japanese superstar Ohtani smashed three huge home runs and struck out 10 Brewers batters in a comprehensive 5-1 victory that sends the Dodgers into a World Series showdown against either Toronto or Seattle.

The Dodgers’ series win was almost a footnote after an electrifying individual display from Ohtani, the generational two-way star who is often described as the greatest baseball player since New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth.

Ohtani — a rarity who combines elite pitching and hitting ability — entered Friday’s game at Dodger Stadium on the back of an eight-game home-run drought.

Yet any doubts about his postseason temperament were obliterated in spectacular fashion with a performance before a sellout 52,883 crowd that rewrote the record books.

No player in Major League Baseball postseason history had ever hit three home runs and struck out 10 opposition batters in the same game.

Only one other pitcher in modern history — the Boston Braves’ Jim Tobin in 1942 — has hit three home runs in a single game.

“It was really fun on both sides of the ball today,” said Ohtani, who dedicated his series Most Valuable Player award to fans across the globe.

“I’m taking this trophy and let’s get four more wins. We won it as a team, and this is really a team effort. I hope everybody in LA and Japan and all over the world could enjoy a really good sake.”

It marked another historic masterpiece from Ohtani, the 31-year-old who last year became the first player ever to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season.

Ohtani had signaled his readiness to lead the Dodgers back to the World Series after an efficient opening frame from the pitching mound where he struck out three batters.

He then crushed a 446-foot leadoff homer to put the Dodgers up 1-0 in the bottom of the first and the template for a sensational performance was set.

After the Dodgers tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the first, Ohtani made it 4-0 in the fourth inning with a 469-foot monster shot that bounced out of the stadium.

His third home run came in the seventh inning to make it 5-0 before the Dodgers closed out a comfortable victory that left team-mates shaking their head in disbelief.

“Shohei, oh my God! I’m still speechless,” Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman said. 

“Sometimes, you’ve got to check yourself, touch and make sure he’s not just made of steel. But absolutely incredible, biggest stage and he goes out and does something like that.”

Ohtani’s final pitching line also impressed. The 31-year-old gave up no runs and only two hits in six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts.

“We were part of tonight an iconic, maybe the best individual performance ever in a postseason game,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. 

“I don’t think anybody can argue with that. A guy punches out 10 and hits three homers.”

The Dodgers will face either Seattle or Toronto in the World Series.