The greatest game we've ever seen

An all-time performance

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Shortly after Shohei Ohtani’s third homer of the night, I tweeted out that it was the greatest performance in postseason history.

I was wrong. It wasn’t.

It was the greatest performance in MLB history…. including the regular season.

What we witnessed last night was something we’ll likely never see again. Well, unless Ohtani does it once again in the World Series next week. At this point, would you even be surprised?

We already knew he was the greatest player on the planet. We already knew he is the greatest player to ever play this game. But seeing what he did last night just made me really appreciate what we are getting to witness. People are going to be jealous of us decades from now when we tell them we got to watch Ohtani play in the prime of his career.

Ohtani began the game on the mound last night. He issued a quick leadoff walk but then proceeded to strike out the next three batters. After his third strikeout of the inning, he ran back towards the dugout to get his hitting gear on. Two minutes after striking out three, Ohtani was set to lead off for LA.

It was a rough postseason for Ohtani. Aside from his 2-homer game in the Wild Card series, he hadn’t done much. It had gotten so bad, he opted to take batting practice on the field at Dodger Stadium, something he hadn’t done all season. Well, it might have paid off.

In his first at bat, Ohtani crushed one 116.5-mph off the bat. He sent a ball 450 feet. After striking out three, LA’s starting pitcher hit a mammoth of a home run. That just isn’t supposed to happen.

Fast forward a couple of innings to the fourth. Ohtani allowed a leadoff double. The Brewers were in prime position to capitalize and get back into the game. Ohtani had other ideas. After a groundout advanced the runner to third with one out, the soon-to-be 2025 MVP responded with back-to-back strikeouts.

Ohtani didn’t lead off the bottom of the fourth. This time, he was due up third. On a 3-1 pitch, Ohtani crushed what might be his most memorable homer as a Dodger up until this point. He sent it “reportedly” 470 feet, but I don’t think anyone believes that number. It cleared the pavilion and landed in a bush by the Shake Shack.

LA’s starting pitcher just hit his second homer of the night, and hit a ball further than any player in Dodger Stadium has arguably hit one.

Ohtani took the mound in the fifth, retiring the side in order. He finished the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. He went back out there for the sixth, where he once again retired the side in order and had two strikeouts.

Through six shutout innings, Dave Roberts sent Ohtani back out to the mound for the seventh. I loved the call, as he was dominating up until that point. He quickly got into trouble as he allowed back-to-back hitters to reach base, ending his night at 100 pitches.

Alex Veisa took his place, managing to escape the jam untouched, officially closing the line on Ohtani’s night.

The final line for Ohtani: 6 innings/0 earned runs/10 strikeouts/2 hits

I mean, come on. That line is what you see from Cy Young caliber pitchers. Not your best hitter. Not the guy who already had hit two homers in the game. Oh yeah, I forgot. Ohtani isn’t like every other player.

Despite being done on the mound, Ohtani wasn’t done at the plate. He stepped into the box in the bottom of the seventh. I remember my girlfriend saying “No WAY he hits another one.”

About 10 seconds later, Ohtani sent one 430 feet to left center field. His third homer of the evening. Capping off the greatest game we’ve ever seen.

Listen to this stat from ‘Just Baseball’:

Only 12 hitters had ever hit 3 homers in a postseason game. Only 26 pitchers had ever recorded 10+ strikeouts, 2 or less hits and no runs in a postseason start…… Shohei Ohtani just did both in the same game

Two innings later, the Dodgers won the pennant.

It’s the greatest game we’ve ever seen. It’ll likely be the greatest game we ever see….. until Ohtani does something to somehow top himself next week in the World Series.