Former Doosan's leadoff home run against Flexen! 9G consecutive RBI - Dodgers record tie
Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers) played as the first designated hitter in the 2024 Major League Baseball showdown against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois, on the 26th (Korea time). Ohtani hit a home run as the first batter in the top of the first inning. Both Chris Flexen's first and second pitches missed the strike zone. Then, the three-pitch cutter and the four-pitch change-up that came in high passed through the zone to become 2B2S. Having watched all four of his pitches, Ohtani pulled the curve ball of Flexen's five pitches at 72.9 miles per hour. The ball flew at a 31-degree angle and 93.8 miles per hour, but Ohtani's ball flew over the right fence. It was his 24th homer in this season. With this homer, Ohtani is one step closer to the Dodgers' new record. He has posted RBIs in nine consecutive games. This is the tying record for most consecutive games in Dodgers history. Ohtani hit an RBI in eight consecutive games against the White Sox the previous day (25th), breaking the record for most consecutive Asian games held by Choo Shin-soo (SSG Landers), who played for the Cleveland Indians (current Guardians) in the 2012 season. Ohtani is displaying his strongest batting performance in recent months. He has 15 RBIs in recent nine games. He has also hit seven home runs. Meanwhile, Flexen, who was hit by Ohtani's home run, played for the Doosan Bears in the 2020 season. At the time, he pitched in 21 games, 8-4 with 132 strikeouts and a 3.01 ERA in 116 ⅔ innings. Afterwards, he signed a contract with the Seattle Mariners ahead of the 2021 season and re-challenged himself in the big league stage. In the 2023 season, he wore a Colorado Rockies uniform through trade, and moved to the White Sox after signing a contract with the White Sox in December last year. In 16 games this season (excluding the Dodgers game on the 26th), he has a 5.03 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 29 walks.