Baseball

Shohei Ohtani Homers to Lead off Dodgers’ NL Wild Card Opener

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani celebrates as he rounds the bases after his solo home run during the first inning in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card baseball playoff series against the Cincinnati Reds, Sept. 30, 2025, in Los Angeles.

The Associated Press

11:02 JST, October 1, 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani homered leading off for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of their NL Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

It was Ohtani’s 13th leadoff homer of the season, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead as they opened defense of their World Series championship.

Reds starter Hunter Greene threw one pitch to Ohtani before having trouble with his PitchCom device. Ohtani practiced swinging while Greene and catcher Tyler Stephenson sorted things out on the mound.

On Greene’s fourth pitch — a 100 mph fastball — Ohtani launched a 375-foot shot into the right field pavilion, earning a raucous reaction from the Dodger Stadium crowd.

“Obviously a great talent,” Greene said Monday when asked about Ohtani, “but I’m also in the big leagues as well.”

Ohtani hit a career-high 55 homers in the regular season, one more than last year when the two-way Japanese superstar became the first player in Major League history with 50 homers and 50 stolen bases.

Ohtani took a called third strike to end the second inning with a runner on.

If the Wild Card Series goes to a deciding third game, manager Dave Roberts has said Ohtani would “probably” start Wednesday. Ohtani has yet to pitch in the playoffs. He didn’t pitch last year while recovering from a second elbow surgery.

The Angels never made the playoffs in Ohtani’s six seasons in Anaheim.