Dodgers' Ohtani hits 2nd leadoff homer in 2 days

CLEVELAND -- There aren't galore times erstwhile you tin accidental Shohei Ohtani is improving.

However, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is having a large May aft not uncovering his powerfulness changeable until June 1 astir seasons.

Ohtani has deed a leadoff homer successful consecutive games for the 2nd clip successful his career.

In Monday night's 7-2 win implicit the Cleveland Guardians, the reigning National League MVP drove a low, wrong fastball from Gavin Williams into the right-field stands for his major-league-leading 19th homer of the season.

According to Major League Baseball, Ohtani is the 4th subordinate successful franchise past with astatine slightest 19 location runs successful the Dodgers' archetypal 54 games, joining Cody Bellinger (19 successful 2019), Roy Campanella (19 successful 1955) and Gil Hodges (20 successful 1951).

It was Ohtani's 5th leadoff homer this play and 17th since arriving successful the majors from Japan successful 2018. It was the 2nd clip this twelvemonth helium went heavy connected the archetypal pitch.

It was the 3rd clip Williams allowed a homer connected the archetypal pitch, tied with the Athletics' Jeffrey Springs, Milwaukee's Nestor Cortes and Boston's Tanner Houck for the astir this season.

"Shohei is ever going to beryllium assertive early," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I deliberation it was much power implicit command. It was a high-velocity fastball. He was acceptable up distant and yanked it down and into his nitro zone."

Ohtani besides had leadoff homers successful consecutive games June 25-26 past play against the Chicago White Sox.

The slugger leads the majors with 12 homers successful May and is 5th successful RBIs with 23. He was a .259 hitter successful May from 2018 done 2024 but is batting .305 this month.

Roberts said earlier the crippled that Ohtani is apt to propulsion a bullpen connected the team's disconnected time Thursday aft facing hitters Sunday for the archetypal clip successful his rehab program. Ohtani is recovering from country connected his close elbow connected Sept. 19, 2023.

"He did travel retired of yesterday feeling good," Roberts said.