With all three MVPs together, it's the first time in 141 years that we've made a milestone like this...But I almost lost LAD
Sep 01, 2024
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The Dodgers took a 3-0 lead in an away game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on the 1st (Korea time), with MVP trio leading off Shohei Ohtani, No. 2 Mookie Betts and No. 3 Freddie Freeman hitting home runs in succession in the top of the 1st inning.
The Arizona starter was right-hander Merrill Kelly from the KBO. Ohtani hit an 84.7-mile curve that dropped into the middle of Kelly's eighth pitch on a full count, edging the deepest middle left fence at Chase Field. It was his 44th home run of the season with a distance of 420 feet. With this, Ohtani marked 44 home runs and 43 steals this season, approaching the first 50-50 in history.
Then right-handed hitter Betts pulled Kelly's slider in the middle of 86.8 miles on One Strike and connected it with a solo shot that went well over the left fence. He hit his 14th homer of the season with a shooting angle of 36 degrees, a batting speed of 101.1 miles and a flying distance of 400 feet.
Behind this, left-handed batter Freeman also fired a home run. Even before Kelly came to his senses, he pulled a four-seam fastball in the middle of the 93.2-mile first pitch and hit a solo shot over the right-center fence. It was his 19th home run of the season, with an angle of launch of 29 degrees, a batting speed of 109.8 miles and a flying distance of 437 feet.
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As Ohtani wore the Dodgers uniform this year, the three players built the so-called MVP trio. Their total ransom amounts to $1.227 billion. This is the first time that the three hit consecutive home runs with 'back-to-back' regardless of batting order.
It is also the first time in about two years and five months that the Dodgers have hit three consecutive home runs regardless of innings since Cody Bellinger, Gavin Lux and Austin Barnes in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins on April 14, 2022.
Above all, it is the first time in the Dodgers' 141-year history that three hitters hit home runs in succession at the start of the game. This record was made four times across all clubs. The San Diego Padres (Marvel Win, Tony Gwynn, John Kruck) recorded against the San Francisco Giants on April 14, 1987, the Atlanta Braves (Rafael Perkal, Mark DeRosa, Gary Sheffield) against the Cincinnati Reds on May 29, 2003, the Milwaukee Brewers (Ricky Wicks, JJ Hardy, Ryan Brun) against Cincinnati on September 10, 2007, and the Baltimore Orioles (Ryan Pleherty, JJ Hardy, Nick Markakis) against the Texas Rangers on May 11, 2012.
However, even though the Dodgers took the lead with their cannon shows, they immediately allowed the game to come from behind in the bottom of the first inning, leading to a difficult game. Dodgers starter Gavin Stone gave up four consecutive hits, including a solo shot to the middle wall by leading Corbin Carroll, and allowed four runs.
However, in the top of the second inning, Ohtani's sacrifice fly and Freeman's timely hit turned the game around 5-4 again, and since then, it has been tight. In the end, the Dodgers won by two points in the top of the ninth inning with two outs and runners on the second and third bases, Tommy Edman hit a right-handed hit and brought both runners to lead 8-6.
jhno@sportschosun.com
