Shohei Ohtani opens 50/50 club with record-setting performance

MIAMI—There is a new club in Major League Baseball.

Shohei Ohtani completed the first 50/50 season in MLB history on Thursday while facing the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park. He entered Thursday's contest at 48/49. 

In his first AB of the game, Ohtani drilled a 114.6 mph line drive off the right-center field wall, one foot short of a home run. It would have cleared the fence in 13 ballparks, per Statcast. He settled for a double and proceeded to steal his 50th base of the season. The following inning, Ohtani laced an RBI single to right to score Max Muncy which gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. After just two innings, Ohtani was halfway to the cycle with a stolen base and RBI.

He wasn't close to being done. 

Just one inning later, Ohtani drilled a 95 mph fastball up-and-in to the opposite field to drive in two more runs. He was thrown out at third following a solid relay by Miami's defense. 

He wouldn't come to the plate again until the sixth inning when Ohtani demolished a George Soriano hanging slider 438 feet to the upper deck in right-center field. Home run #49 left his bat at 111.2 mph. He was now 4-for-4 with 5 RBI, two stolen bases and one homer shy of the 50/50 club. 

History happened in the top of the seventh. Reliever Mike Baumann, who is certainly going to be the answer to future trivia questions, was on the mound. Ohtani stepped to the plate with his team ahead 12-3.

"You go after him and see if you can get him out," manager Skip Schumaker said. "Out of respect for the game, we were gonna go after him."

Ohtani drilled a hanging breaking ball over the left field wall for his 50th. He is the first player in MLB history to accomplish the 50/50 feat, and he did it while simultaneously rehabbing from right elbow surgery.

The 15,548 (mostly Dodger fans) in attendance gave the global phenomenon a standing ovation. Ohtani, being the classy individual he is, returned the favor with a curtain call outside the Dodgers dugout. 

Arguably one of the most significant moments in loanDepot park history. 

Funny thing is, after a 5-for-5 day, Ohtani was still not done. 

In the top of the ninth inning—albeit with a position player on the mound—Ohtani drilled his furthest home run of the night. He took a Vidal Bruján offering 440 feet to right field. 113.6 mph off the bat for a three-run home run. He entered Thursday's game at 48/49 and finished at 51/51. Entering Thursday, no player had ever recorded more than 13 total bases against the Marlins. Ohtani had 17 on Thursday. 

All in all? Ohtani went 6-for-6 with three home runs, 10 RBI, two doubles, and four runs scored.

The Dodgers won comfortably, 20-4. They took two out of three against Miami before heading home to begin a three-game set at Dodger Stadium on Friday. For the Marlins, Edward Cabrera had his worst start of the second half and only lasted 2 ⅓ innings. He walked five and hit a batter while surrendering seven earned runs. 

Additionally, Griffin Conine hit his first career home run in Miami on Thursday. 

Miami begins a three-game set on Friday against the Atlanta Braves. Valente Bellozo gets the ball for Miami.