Dodgers Interview: Shohei Ohtani Reflects on Two-Homer Night

LOS ANGELES — In the first meeting between the Dodgers and Yankees since the 2024 World Series, Shohei Ohtani didn’t just rise to the occasion—he practically wrote the script. The Dodgers’ two-way superstar launched two solo home runs, bookending the comeback that lifted Los Angeles to a thrilling 8–5 win at Dodger Stadium. The night was charged with postseason energy, and Ohtani responded like it was October all over again.

After the game, Ohtani spoke with reporters through interpreter Will Ireton, offering insight into both the game’s emotional swing and his approach at the plate.

When asked if the Dodgers’ sixth-inning rally reminded him of last year’s dramatic fifth inning in Game 5 of the World Series, Ohtani said it was “a little different situation,” but added, “It’s always nice to come back from a losing situation and win the game.”

The Dodgers trailed 5–2 after just three innings, but Ohtani sparked the comeback in the sixth with his second home run of the night—a soaring drive to right-center field off Max Fried that narrowed the gap to two runs and ignited a six-run surge. Ohtani downplayed any personal glory, instead highlighting the importance of seizing momentum in games like this.

“Both teams started on a really good note,” he said, referring to Aaron Judge’s first-inning homer and his own in the bottom half. “I really thought it was important to score another run in that situation, knowing that momentum is really important in a game like today.”

Speaking then to Japanese media, Ohtani credited his recent power surge to his disciplined approach at the plate. He said he feels that he’s “been doing a pretty good job of swinging at the pitches I’m supposed to swing at,” and emphasized that even when outcomes vary, staying aggressive on hittable pitches is key. “Even when you swing at a pitch in the zone, sometimes the results are good and sometimes they’re not,” he noted, “but I think I’ve done a decent job of staying locked in on the pitches I need to swing at.”

Both of his home runs came on elevated fastballs that he didn’t miss. The first tied the game in the bottom of the first, and the second served as a momentum swing that cracked open the Yankees’ lead and forced Fried out of the game. The crowd of 53,276 roared, and the Dodgers’ dugout fed off the energy.

Although Ohtani typically treats every game with the same level of focus, he admitted there was something different about this one. “Of course, we faced them in the World Series last year,” he said. “We’re always trying to win one game at a time, but I think there’s a special atmosphere when it’s the Yankees, especially with how excited the fans were.”

He added that winning the first game of the series was especially meaningful. “Getting the first game in a series like this is important,” Ohtani said. “It helps us build momentum. It’s a good way to start, especially at home.”

That momentum came from up and down the lineup—Freddie Freeman collected three hits, Andy Pages drove in three runs, and Will Smith continued his hot hitting. But it was Ohtani’s steady presence and signature swings that set the tone early and reset the game late.

Ohtani’s performance lifted his season totals to 22 home runs and 37 RBIs, but more importantly, reaffirmed his knack for delivering in pressure-packed moments. Whether it was answering Judge in the first inning or flipping the script in the sixth, he reminded everyone—again—that he doesn’t just play the game at a high level; he alters it.

“It’s always nice to come back,” he said simply. “And win the game.”

Against the Yankees, under the lights, in a game that felt anything but ordinary—Ohtani did just that.

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