Leading off Tuesday's 15-2 win over the Miami Marlins in the bottom of the first inning, Shohei Ohtani jumped on the first pitch he saw from Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara and belted it over the wall in right field for a home run.
But Ohtani's blast was more than just tone-setting dinger.
It was his first home run since the birth of his daughter, snapping a seven-game drought, which was not lost on the three-time MVP.
"It was a good home run to get back on the board for this game," Ohtani said, speaking through interpreter Will Ireton. "I haven't hit one since being a father, so it's a really nice one to be able to do that."
Shohei Ohtani speaks about fatherhood and hitting his first homer since becoming a dad. pic.twitter.com/nxWrsQFIwA
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Ohtani and his wife Mamiko on April 19 announced the birth of a baby girl. The Dodgers superstar was then placed on the paternity list, missing the first two games of Los Angeles's series against the Texas Rangers as he remained in Southern California with his wife and newborn daughter.
After returning from the paternity list on April 20, Ohtani was mired in a 2-for-16 slump with six strikeouts and two walks. But even before Tuesday's home run, there were signs the Dodgers slugger's power outage would soon be coming to an end.
In the three games leading up to Tuesday's victory, Ohtani was 6-for-11 with four extra base hits and an RBI. Now, seemingly back on track at the plate, Ohtani took some time to reflect on both the joys and sleepless nights that come with fatherhood.
"I'm just grateful for the safe delivery," Ohtani said of the life change. "I'm glad that even though I couldn't sleep as much as I wanted to, it's a good kind of not-getting-enough-sleep situation."
"A little change in the routine in terms of, for example today I went to the hospital and came straight to the field," Ohtani continued. "Just being here at home is nice to be able to spend time, but on the road, it's going to be a little bit of a challenge since I won't be here."
After Wednesday's game against the Marlins, Ohtani and the Dodgers will embark on a 10-game road trip, beginning with a May 2 contest vs. the Atlanta Braves.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shohei Ohtani Happy to End Slugging Drought, Hit First Home Run as Father.
