Ohtani crushes 30th homer for 5th straight year as Dodgers roll past White Sox 6–1
TOI World Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Jul 02, 2025, 18:38 IST
( Image credit : AP, TOIGLOBAL )
Shohei Ohtani propelled the Dodgers to a 6-1 victory over the White Sox with his National League-leading 30th home run. Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered a dominant performance, earning his eighth win with significant run support. The Dodgers' offense exploded in the first inning, securing a commanding lead and extending their NL West advantage to eight games.
Shohei Ohtani delivered yet another big-time performance, launching his National League-leading 30th home run of the season Tuesday night, powering the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6–1 win over the struggling Chicago White Sox.
Ohtani’s milestone blast, a 408-foot shot to center field in the fourth inning, marked the fifth consecutive season he’s hit at least 30 homers—putting him in elite company as just the 12th active MLB player to reach that mark five times.
The homer came moments after a tense moment in the game when Ohtani fouled a pitch off that struck home plate umpire Alan Porter in the knee. Ohtani checked to make sure Porter could stand on his own before returning to the batter’s box and unloading on the very next pitch.
The solo shot not only ended Ohtani’s mini-slump (he had gone hitless in his previous six at-bats), but it also capped off a four-run first inning that gave Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto all the cushion he needed.
Yamamoto (8–6) was dominant over seven strong innings, giving up just one run on three hits, striking out eight and walking only one. It was the first time this season he received more than three runs of support from his offense.
In the opening frame, Chicago starter Shane Smith (3–6) got two quick outs before losing command. He walked Will Smith and Max Muncy back-to-back, setting the stage for Teoscar Hernández’s RBI single, followed by Andy Pages’ run-scoring double. Michael Conforto then lined a two-run single to put the Dodgers up 4–0 before the White Sox could record the final out.
Chicago’s only offense came in the third inning on an RBI single by Lenyn Sosa.
Despite the early deficit, Ohtani continued to show sportsmanship. During the seventh-inning stretch, he again checked on umpire Porter to ensure he was still doing okay—earning cheers from the Dodger Stadium crowd for both his empathy and power.
With the win, the Dodgers have now won 13 of their last 16 games and opened up their largest lead of the season atop the NL West—eight games clear of the pack.
Ohtani, already a two-time MVP, reached the 30-home run milestone before the All-Star break for the third time in his MLB career (also in 2021 and 2023). He remains a favorite in the NL MVP race and continues to elevate the Dodgers’ already high expectations heading into the second half of the season.
Ohtani’s milestone blast, a 408-foot shot to center field in the fourth inning, marked the fifth consecutive season he’s hit at least 30 homers—putting him in elite company as just the 12th active MLB player to reach that mark five times.
The homer came moments after a tense moment in the game when Ohtani fouled a pitch off that struck home plate umpire Alan Porter in the knee. Ohtani checked to make sure Porter could stand on his own before returning to the batter’s box and unloading on the very next pitch.
The solo shot not only ended Ohtani’s mini-slump (he had gone hitless in his previous six at-bats), but it also capped off a four-run first inning that gave Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto all the cushion he needed.
Yamamoto (8–6) was dominant over seven strong innings, giving up just one run on three hits, striking out eight and walking only one. It was the first time this season he received more than three runs of support from his offense.
In the opening frame, Chicago starter Shane Smith (3–6) got two quick outs before losing command. He walked Will Smith and Max Muncy back-to-back, setting the stage for Teoscar Hernández’s RBI single, followed by Andy Pages’ run-scoring double. Michael Conforto then lined a two-run single to put the Dodgers up 4–0 before the White Sox could record the final out.
Chicago’s only offense came in the third inning on an RBI single by Lenyn Sosa.
Despite the early deficit, Ohtani continued to show sportsmanship. During the seventh-inning stretch, he again checked on umpire Porter to ensure he was still doing okay—earning cheers from the Dodger Stadium crowd for both his empathy and power.
With the win, the Dodgers have now won 13 of their last 16 games and opened up their largest lead of the season atop the NL West—eight games clear of the pack.
Ohtani, already a two-time MVP, reached the 30-home run milestone before the All-Star break for the third time in his MLB career (also in 2021 and 2023). He remains a favorite in the NL MVP race and continues to elevate the Dodgers’ already high expectations heading into the second half of the season.