Dodgers' Ohtani 'relieved' after passing Matsui for most homers by Japanese player
April 22 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani said he felt relief and happiness after hitting a 423-foot bomb to pass Hideki Matsui for the most career homers hit by a Japanese-born player during a win over the New York Mets.
Ohtani hit the two-run blast in the bottom of the third inning of the 10-0 triumph Sunday at Dodger Stadium. He now has 176 career long balls. Matsui hit 175 homers from 2003 through 2012.
"Honestly, I'm relieved and happy," Ohtani told reporters. "It took a while to get to this point. I'm just honestly happy and relieved."
Ohtani went 2 for 3 with two RBIs, two runs scored, a walk and a strikeout in Sunday's win. He needed 2,576 at-bats to reach 176 career home runs. Matsui recorded his 175th homer in his 4,354th career at-bat.
Ohtani struck out in his first at-bat against Mets starter Adrian Houser in the bottom of the first inning Sunday in Los Angeles. Neither team plated a run through the first two innings.
Houser walked Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux to start the bottom of the third. He then struck out shortstop Mookie Betts, brining Ohtani to the plate for their second exchange.
Ohtani fouled off Houser's initial offering. He sent his second pitch -- an 81.7-mph slider -- into the bleachers in right field. The 423-foot blast traveled 110 mph off his bat.
Betts gave the Dodgers a 3-0 lead with an RBI single in the fifth. Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman followed with a two-run double two at-bats later. Catcher Will Smith plated Ohtani and Freeman two pitches later with another double.
Dodgers right fielder Andy Pages hit a 413-foot, three-run homer to center later in the inning for the final runs of the game.
Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow allowed seven hits and issued 10 strikeouts over eight scoreless innings to improve to 4-1 this season. Pages went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Freeman went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Houser allowed seven hits and eight runs over four innings to drop to 0-2 this season.
Ohtani is now hitting an MLB-best .368 with five home runs and 13 RBIs through 24 games for the Dodgers.The three-time All-Star and two-time MVP also leads MLB with 35 hits, 17 extra-base hits, 11 doubles and 63 total bases.
Ohtani said he was not cognizant of breaking Matsui's mark when he started his career, but later made it a goal to set the record. He said he also wants to match Matsui's postseason success. Matsui, who spent the majority of his career with the New York Yankees, was a World Series MVP in 2009.
The two-time All-Star hit .615 (8 for 13) with three home runs and eight RBIs in that Yankees title series triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Dodgers (13-11) hold a one-game lead on the San Diego Padres (12-12) for first place in the National League West. They will face the Washington Nationals at 6:45 p.m. EDT Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
