Baseball-Dodgers' Ohtani bolts and blasts his way to first 50-50 season

By Rory Carroll

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Los Angeles Dodgers' slugger Shohei Ohtani became the first MLB player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season, following a stunning display of strength and speed in Miami on Thursday.

The Japanese sensation crushed three home runs and stole two bases to achieve a feat many did not think possible and now has 51 home runs and 51 stolen bases on the year for the playoff-bound Dodgers.

Ohtani could only shake his head and laugh when he entered the dugout after smacking his third home run of the game, a 440-foot shot to the second deck in right field that sent already thrilled Dodgers fans at LoanDepot Park into a frenzy.

"I'm glad that the team won," Ohtani said through an interpreter.

"It's something I wanted to get over as quickly as possible. It's something that I am going to cherish for a very long time."

Ohtani went six-for-six in the game with two doubles, two stolen bases, three home runs and a staggering 10 RBIs in the Dodgers' 20-4 blowout victory.

"I'm the one who is probably the most surprised. I have no idea where this came from but I'm glad that I performed well today," he said.

With the win, the Dodgers clinched their spot in the playoffs, which will mark Ohtani's first playoff appearance after he spent his first six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.

"Although I switched uniforms and came to a new team, my goal was always to be in the playoffs and I'm glad that we were able to make it today - personally and as a team." he said.

Entering the game needing a stolen base and two home runs to be the first member of the 50-50 club, Ohtani smoked a double to lead off the game and then stole third, sliding under the tag from Marlins third baseman Connor Norby.

He came around to score on a sacrifice fly to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead. The base was removed from the field for safe keeping before the start of the bottom of the first inning.

In his next at-bat he hit an RBI single to right field to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead and stole second on a play where the speedy Ohtani got such a good jump that Marlins catcher Nick Fortes did not even attempt to throw him out.

Ohtani stepped to the plate for his fourth at-bat at the top of the sixth and obliterated a pitch into the second deck of LoanDepot Park.

The left-handed hitting Ohtani's second home run went over the left field fence to officially enter the 50-50 club. The blast also gave Ohtani the record for most homers hit by a Dodger player in a single season. Shawn Green hit 49 long balls in 2001.

It did not look like Ohtani would get another at-bat but when he did he did not waste it, smashing a pitch to the second deck in right for a 17-3 lead.

The 30-year-old Ohtani is playing in his seventh season and has more than delivered for the Dodgers since being acquired in the off-season on a record 10-year, $700-million contract.

The two-way threat is not pitching this season as he recovers from an off-season elbow surgery but his feats at the plate and on the base paths have him well positioned to win his third MVP award.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Muralikumar Anantharaman)