May 26, 2025, 08:16 PM ET
CLEVELAND — Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff homer in consecutive games for the second time in his career.
The reigning National League MVP drove a low, inside fastball from Cleveland‘s Gavin Williams into the right-field stands for his major-league-leading 19th homer of the season in his club’s 7-2 win over the Guardians on Monday night.
It was Ohtani’s fifth leadoff homer this season and 17th since arriving in the majors from Japan in 2018. It was the second time this year that he went deep on the game’s first pitch.
It was the third time that Williams gave up a homer on the first pitch, tied with the Athletics’ Jeffrey Springs, Milwaukee’s Nestor Cortes and Boston’s Tanner Houck for the most this season.
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Ohtani also had leadoff homers in consecutive games on June 25-26 last season against the Chicago White Sox.
Manager Dave Roberts, who watched his first five hitters account for seven of eight hits as the Dodgers snapped a two-game skid, said before Monday’s game that Ohtani was likely to throw a bullpen session on the team’s off day Thursday after facing live hitters Sunday. Ohtani is recovering from surgery on his right elbow on Sept. 19, 2023.
“He did come out of yesterday feeling good,” Roberts said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
