Shohei Ohtani hits 3-run homer for National League in All-Star Game

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Shohei Ohtani put the National League ahead in the All-Star Game, hitting a three-run homer in the third inning off Boston’s Tanner Houck on Tuesday night.

Ohtani walked in the first inning against Baltimore’s Corbin Burnes, then came to the plate in the third after Jurickson Profar singled leading off and Ketel Marte reached on a 109.5 mph hit that deflected off second baseman Marcus Semien.

Houck fell behind 2-0 in the count and Ohtani drove a splitter over the middle of the plate 400 feet into the right-field seats for his first All-Star home run.

He became the first Los Angeles Dodgers player to homer in an All-Star Game since Mike Piazza off Cleveland’s Charles Nagy in 1996 at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium.

A four-time All-Star playing 11 days after his 30th birthday, Ohtani was with the NL for the first time after leaving the Los Angeles Angels to sign a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ohtani was the first two-way All-Star for three straight years through 2023 and got the win in the 2021 game at Denver’s Coors Field when he retired Fernando Tatis Jr., Max Muncy and Nolan Arenado in the first inning. He is not pitching this season following elbow surgery last September.

Ohtani is hitting .316 with an NL-high 29 homers, 69 RBIs and 23 stolen bases for the Dodgers.