Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani ties Mookie Betts’ franchise record

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Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani ties Mookie Betts’ franchise record

Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Abdullah Imran, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sun, Sep 7, 2025 ·

3 min read

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The post Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani ties Mookie Betts' franchise record appeared first on ClutchPoints .

The Los Angeles Dodgers finally ended their five-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday at Camden Yards, thanks to Shohei Ohtani's record-tying performance .

By homering in his first two at-bats, Ohtani matched Mookie Betts ' Dodgers record of 12 leadoff blasts in a single season, a standard Betts set in 2023, per Ian Quillen of MLB.com.

Ohtani wasted no time, launching the first strike he saw from fellow countryman Tomoyuki Sugano into center field for his 47th home run of the year. The blast not only gave the Dodgers an early lead but also pulled Ohtani into a six-way tie for third place in MLB history for most leadoff home runs in a season. He now stands second only to Kyle Schwarber 's 15 (2024) and Alfonso Soriano 's 13 (2003).

Two innings later, Ohtani struck again. After working the count to 2-0, he hammered another pitch from Sugano 399 feet over the wall for his 48th homer of the season and his 23rd career multi-homer game. Betts followed immediately with a solo shot of his own, his second of the series, staking the Dodgers to a 3-0 lead. All three Dodgers home runs came off Sugano, who exited in the fourth inning after being struck on the foot by a Hyeseong Kim line drive.

Shohei Ohtani reached base in all five of his plate appearances, finishing 2-for-2 with two homers, three walks, and three runs scored. The game was also his first time this season reaching base five times. His 96 walks now tie his career high. Against Sugano specifically, Ohtani is a perfect 4-for-4 across their careers, including prior matchups in Nippon Professional Baseball.

Miguel Rojas added to the Dodgers' offense with a single in the fourth inning, later scoring on a throwing error by Orioles catcher Alex Jackson. Rojas has been a steady presence at the plate, going 6-for-18 (.333) with two doubles during the road trip.

Clayton Kershaw worked a strong game on the mound, striking out eight and allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings. The 37-year-old improved to 10-2 and won his sixth consecutive decision. Remarkably, it was the first time in his 18-year career that he had ever faced the Orioles, leaving Boston as the only team he has yet to defeat. Kershaw is now 8-1 in 12 starts following Dodgers losses this season, with Los Angeles winning nine of those games.

The Dodgers bullpen handled the rest. Rookie Justin Wrobleski struck out five straight batters over two scoreless innings, while Jack Dreyer closed the game for his third save.

Baltimore entered the game on a five-game winning streak, but managed only two runs in the sixth inning after Kershaw's departure. The Orioles had chances late, but Wrobleski and Dreyer slammed the door.

The Dodgers return home to open a three-game set against the Colorado Rockies on Monday, while the Orioles will host the Pittsburgh Pirates after a day off.

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