Ohtani is first Japanese-born player with 200 HRs in Majors

Shohei Ohtani marked a milestone with his 200th MLB home run on Saturday afternoon at Comerica Park, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Dodgers from a heartbreaking 11-9 loss to the Tigers in 10 innings.

Ohtani broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning with his solo shot down the right-field line off Keider Montero’s changeup, his 29th homer of the season leading the National League.

Despite Ohtani’s heroics, Detroit staged a dramatic comeback in the ninth, culminating in Colt Keith’s two-run homer off closer Evan Phillips, forcing extra innings.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised Ohtani’s performance, saying, “It’s really incredible. The stolen bases, the home runs. He’s having a tremendous, MVP-type season. Two hundred homers in such a short time in the big leagues … and considering his time on the IL.”

Los Angeles, typically dominant when leading after eight innings (48-0), faltered defensively. “It’s not us,” lamented Roberts. “It doesn’t happen, but it certainly happened today.”

Even with the game slipping away, the Dodgers had chances, including loading the bases in the 10th inning. However, a double play ended their rally, and Detroit capitalized with Gio Urshela’s decisive two-run homer off Yohan Ramírez.

“We had a five-run lead,” Roberts reflected, “and there’s just no excuse for us losing that game. We’ve just got to be better.”

Detroit’s comeback overshadowed Ohtani’s accomplishment, as the two-time AL MVP became the first Japanese-born MLB player to reach 200 home runs, surpassing Hideki Matsui’s previous record of 175 earlier this season.

Ohtani, who turned 30 on July 5, continues to rewrite records, now holding the Dodgers franchise record for pre-All-Star break extra-base hits with 56.

Despite a strong start from Justin Wrobleski, who struck out four over five innings, the Dodgers couldn’t secure the win. “I thought he threw well,” said Roberts, noting costly mistakes late in the game.

The bullpen, fatigued after recent games, struggled to contain Detroit’s late surge, a stark contrast to their previous day’s performance.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s game before the All-Star break, Roberts acknowledged the bullpen’s challenges. “We’ve got a guy or two coming in to try to figure out some length,” he said, outlining a strategic approach for the final game.

Despite the loss, Roberts remained optimistic about the series. “You know, we still have a chance to win the series.”