Wed Sep 03 22:40:00 UTC 2025: **NEWS ARTICLE:**
**Ohtani’s Record-Breaking Homer Not Enough as Dodgers Fall to Pirates**
PITTSBURGH – Shohei Ohtani etched his name further into baseball history Tuesday night, blasting a 120 mph home run off Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler, the hardest-hit ball of his career and any Dodger since Statcast began tracking in 2015. The solo shot, Ohtani’s 100th as a Dodger, was a laser to right field at PNC Park. He’s the fourth player to reach 100 home runs in their first two seasons with a franchise, joining Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez and Roger Maris. Ohtani has reached the milestone in 294 games, making him the third-fastest since 1900, trailing only Mark McGwire and Ruth.
“At this point, there’s not much more he can do to amaze me,” said teammate Mookie Betts.
While Ohtani’s monster home run temporarily sparked the Dodgers, who tied the game in the fourth, the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead, leading to a 9-7 loss. The Dodgers missed an opportunity to extend their lead in the NL West and close in on the Phillies for the second-best record in the National League.
“I thought that there were different points in the game that we showed some life. And then, unfortunately, we just couldn’t kind of put up that zero to build off of it,” said manager Dave Roberts.
Ohtani, currently third in MLB with 46 home runs, will take the mound Wednesday, hoping to pitch the Dodgers to a win and even the series. Roberts expressed optimism that Ohtani’s best is yet to come, saying, “I think his swing really has shortened up a little bit to get to the velocity… I think that September is going to be his best month yet.”
First Piper 