Of all the iconic photos from Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off grand slam on Friday night, a postgame snapshot may be the highlight.
Ohtani joined the elite 40-40 club in the Dodgers’ 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, finishing the game with a walk-off grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning. He is only the sixth player in MLB history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season, and he was the fastest to ever do so, achieving the feat in his 126th game.
At the end of Ohtani’s historic night, he met with sideline reporter Kirsten Watson for a postgame interview. His Dodgers teammates decided to surprise him with a well-deserved Gatorade shower, which elicited a hysterical scream from Ohtani.
Hit the first walk-off home run of his career ✅
Join the 40/40 Club ✅
Treat yourself to a shower after the game ✅ pic.twitter.com/LXonGOXuxw— MLB (@MLB) 24 August 2024
What a special moment for the 30-year-old star.
Ohtani is now part of the prestigious 40-40 club that also includes Ronald Acuna Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds and others. Ohtani, who never made the postseason in his six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, is on a much more promising path to success this year with the NL West-leading Dodgers.
“It means a lot to me to be able to do this in front of the home crowd,” Ohtani Watson said through his translator. “I was really focused on winning the game… The ultimate goal is to get to the postseason and win the World Series, and no matter what the outcome is for my record, that’s part of the process.”
