Shohei Ohtani gets a standing ovation after reaching 50-50, then reaches 52-52

Shohei Ohtani returned to Dodger Stadium on Friday as a victorious hero after winning the first 50-50 season in MLB history, and then continued doing what he does best.

After going 50-50 and 51-51 in the same game, the Los Angeles Dodgers star opened the 52-52 club with a home run and a steal against the Colorado Rockies. Facing Rockies starter Kyle Freeland in the fifth inning, Ohtani worked the count to the fullest and then caught a pitch under his armpits into deep center field.

There aren't many hitters who can catch a pitch that high and send it 423 feet in the other direction.

Two innings later, Ohtani got on base with a single and then took second base on Mookie Betts' first pitch.

It was the 14th time this season that Ohtani hit both a home run and a stolen base in the same game, breaking Rickey Henderson's record of 13 set in 1986.

The Dodgers eventually won 6-4.

Ohtani is just one home run away from Aaron Judge for the MLB lead, and he has hit 9 of 10 home runs in his last two games, with four home runs, two doubles, three steals, six runs and 12 RBIs. Most of those performances came Thursday against the Marlins, when Ohtani went 50-50 not only in style, but with one of the best offensive games in MLB history.

Ohtani hit his 49th, 50th and 51st home runs of the season and stole his 50th and 51st bases of the season, all in the same game, combining an unprecedented season performance with the 16th 10-RBI game in MLB history. It was also the first three-home-run, two-steal game in MLB history, all on the anniversary of his I-can't-believe-it's-not-Tommy John surgery (Ohtani received an internal brace on his UCL on Sept. 19, 2023).

The only downside to this magical night was that it took place on the road, although Ohtani still received a curtain call at loanDepot Park in Miami. Dodgers fans did their best to make up for it by giving him a standing ovation on Friday before his first at-bat, which earned him a wave from Ohtani.

Ohtani may have reached 50-50, but it remains to be seen how far he can push into uncharted territory in terms of home runs and steals.

And then there's the matter of the playoffs. The Dodgers, 92-62, clinched a playoff spot on Thursday and have a four-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the battle for the NL West title with eight games remaining. Wherever they end up in Ohtani's first playoff season, they'll have to overcome a series of pitcher injuries if they hope to give Ohtani a ring.