Shohei Ohtani is delivering for the Dodgers amid long-awaited late-season action

LOS ANGELES — For years, the baseball world has longed to see Shohei Ohtani on nights like these.

For years, he changed what we thought was possible as a baseball talent. Last winter he changed what was possible for him by not only signing up for hundreds of millions but finally getting a chance in October.

The calendar hasn't quite turned over yet, but Ohtani has arrived. The Los Angeles Dodgers came to life on Wednesday through the power of his bat, twice taking a one-hit lead against their $700 million man and feeling every bit of life that came from it.

After the first, a two-out fly off the wall for a double, Ohtani held out his arms in triumph. When he hit a two-strike, two-out single to give the Dodgers the lead for good, he drew a whoop of joy from the dugout on the sidelines of an annual celebration.

The Dodgers can start popping bottles on Thursday after a 4-3 win on Wednesday. With another win over the San Diego Padres, they won the NL West for the eleventh time in twelve seasons. Ohtani felt it.

Shohei knows clutch! pic.twitter.com/TgBbraVk2G

– Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2024

One night, after losing miserably and with at least a hint of possible disaster, they righted the ship.

They can thank their otherworldly superstar as he writes the next chapter of his impressive first season with his new club.

“He's raised his level of play,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Ohtani, who now reached base in 21 of his last 28 appearances, with five home runs and seven stolen bases in that span.

Ohtani is in the midst of one of the most prolific offensive performances of all time. Now it comes with stakes. More than anything, he breathed life into a group that needed it.

“We need it,” Roberts said. “I expect our guys will be emotionally drained and worn out every game from now on. If not, they don't leave enough of it. …It’s personal. It has to be personal. In order for us to win a championship, we have to have this attitude in the future.”

The Dodgers still flirted with disaster again. For the second time in two nights, they took the lead in the first inning but immediately found themselves in a bind. Jack Flaherty struggled to find his command, struggling through five innings against a Padres lineup that made more contact than any other in the sport. A decrease in speed had only increased this margin.

When Flaherty gave up a two-out fastball to Fernando Tatis Jr. in the fifth, the Padres slugger fired it from halfway up the pavilion, an estimated 448 feet from home plate, to tie the game.

It had taken until the fourth for the Dodgers' offense to come to life against Dylan Cease, taking another one-run lead. Tommy Edman hit a two-out double into the gap to tie the score at 2-2 when Gavin Lux broke his 4-for-37 drought with a line drive that sneaked just over the glove of Xander Bogaerts at shortstop a single.

After a walk by Miguel Rojas, Ohtani singled on the first pitch he saw. He froze at the plate as the rope left his bat at 116.8 mph and bounced off the wall, racing to second after breaking the tie.

Shohei takes the lead! pic.twitter.com/ZJ7hmlhdFM

– Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2024

After Tatis' blast equalized again, Ohtani returned in the sixth period. Again with two ons and two outs. After seeing a pair of fastballs over the call strike zone, he waited for San Diego's Adrian Morejon. When Morejon released another fastball over the outside half of the plate, he stroked it through the hole for another two-out run that was batted in, giving the Dodgers the lead for good.

The outpouring of emotion was remarkable and emotional.

“You see the emotions that you never see, and you saw that last week,” Roberts said. “He has a taste of the postseason and understands how important these games are. … It fires us up. When your best player plays with emotion, everyone follows him.”

FIRE US UP, SHOHEI. pic.twitter.com/ekf7xv12sx

– Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2024

“You see it and you get really excited,” Max Muncy said.

Ohtani has embraced his stage. For years, his every move has been tracked and registered by millions of eyeballs. But even he noticed that.

“There is a certain sense of grandeur when it comes to playing these meaningful games,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton.

This is what Ohtani has been waiting for. These are the turnarounds the Dodgers were hoping would come. And yet, for much of the first few months of the season, a minor subplot developed beneath Ohtani's astounding offensive season. About a month ago, his OPS with runners in scoring position was still .696.

A course correction followed. Ohtani secured the fastest 40-40 season ever with a walk-off grand slam. He drove in 10 runs in a game when he became the first player to reach 50-50. Entering Wednesday night, that OPS had risen to 0.847.

The Dodgers have been watching closely as Ohtani approached his first October. Roberts noted weeks ago that the Dodgers would trust Ohtani not to carry them but to take what he can to help them get where they want to go.

“He’s handling it exactly how I hoped he would,” Roberts said. “This is a playoff environment. You can see them trying to rush him and then turn him away, and he's just patient, waiting for his pitch and doing something when he gets his chance.”

Wednesday showed how much that can be. Thursday could bring even more.

“I’m looking forward to being able to do that and hopefully be able to celebrate in front of the home fans,” said Ohtani.

Given the questions surrounding the Dodgers' starting pitching, it's a formula the Dodgers may have to rely on to get anywhere in October. Get enough of Flaherty. Rely on the depth of their lineup. Post a dominant bullpen performance (four innings, no hits allowed).

And count on one of the best talents the game has ever seen.

So far it has worked.

“The fact is we still have the best record in baseball,” Roberts said. “It may not feel like it, but … I could see the intent tonight of what we were going to get, and that's what we did. We have achieved a great victory.”

(Photo: Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)