MIAMI – Back in the building where his greatest baseball moment took place, Shohei Ohtani took a step closer to history Tuesday night.

The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar hit the 48th home run of his unprecedented season, turning over a sweeper by Miami Marlins right-hander Darren McCaughan in the third inning and sending the ball into the upper deck of loanDepot Park. Ohtani is now just two home runs and two stolen bases away from becoming the first player in the sport’s history to reach 50-50.

The Dodgers have 11 games left in the regular season, and the odds of Ohtani reaching a 50-50 record increased with Tuesday’s two-run shot.

Ohtani did not hit a home run or steal a base during the Dodgers’ four road games in Atlanta, his longest streak without either since early June.

48/48 FOR SHOHEI OHTANI! pic.twitter.com/QoXCvhkrHI

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) 17 September 2024

The end of the mini-dry spell came during Ohtani’s first appearance in Miami since March 2023, when he and current Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto were part of the Samurai Japan team that toppled a number of MLB superstars and defeated the United States in the final of the World Baseball Classic.

He provided the defining moment of the night when he came out of the bullpen, got the final three outs from the mound and struck out then-teammate Mike Trout to close the night. It’s Ohtani’s biggest moment on the big stage so far, at least before he likely makes his postseason debut with the Dodgers next month.

Ohtani, a two-time MVP seeking his first National League honor, entered Tuesday with a .288 batting average and .982 OPS, the third-highest among qualified major league players. He also had 108 RBIs and was second in the National League with 6.9 Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs.

The two-way star created his offensive masterpiece in a year in which he likely won’t throw a single pitch due to a second major elbow ligament surgery. But that didn’t stop him from signing a record-breaking free agent contract worth $700 million last offseason. He set a career record for home runs and is now just one home run away from Shawn Green’s franchise record of 49 home runs in a season, set in 2001.

Despite not accomplishing what makes him baseball’s most unique star, Ohtani had a tremendous season. The last step was a mammoth throw.

(Photo: Sam Navarro/Getty Images)