We have said this countless times: every time Shohei Ohtani takes the field, chances are he is going to do something amazing or break a record.
The Los Angeles Angels star did just that on Thursday.
And, as you can imagine, it has something to do with dominating an opposing team from the mound and at the plate.
“Shohei Ohtani today became the first MLB player to strike out eight batters and also hit a single, double, and triple in the same game since 1923. Seriously, it’s been 100 years. Just insane,” Codify Baseball tweeted.
Shohei Ohtani today became the first MLB player to strike out eight batters and also hit a single, double, and triple in the same game since 1923. Seriously, it’s been 100 years. Just insane. pic.twitter.com/t8tEYl6aV1
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) April 28, 2023
If you were wondering who was the pitcher who did it in 1923, it wasn’t Babe Ruth.
It was “Dauntless Dave” Danforth.
Dave Danforth of the St. Louis Browns vs. Philadelphia Athletics on August 25th 1923
9 IP
11 H
4 ER
8 K
3.87 ERA3 AB
1 R
3 H (Double, Triple then Single on 2nd, 5th and 7th Inn)
1 BB
.311/.415/.467
.882 OPS— nitiv (@vitinisdumb) April 28, 2023
But back to Ohtani.
Incredibly, it wasn’t his best night as a pitcher, as he conceded five earned runs against the Oakland Athletics.
He did it in six innings, allowing just five baserunners via hits (three) and walks (two).
The problem was that two of the hits left the yard.
Since he had support from his fellow lineup mates, he was able to take his record to 4-0 this season.
His best moments on Thursday were as a hitter, though.
He hit a single, a double, and a triple, and went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
He was actually inches away from hitting for the cycle, which should have been nothing short of amazing.
However, an A’s outfielder caught the ball on the warning track and took away that chance.
He is still a unique player in our books, and we don’t need a cycle to confirm it.
NEXT:
Shohei Ohtani Barely Missed Out On History
