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Shohei Ohtani has become the sole member of an exclusive club.
He became the first player in major league history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season, surpassing both milestones for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Thursday night's 20-4 victory over the Miami Marlins.
Ohtani got to 50-50 in his 150th game, hitting three homers to reach 51 and swiping two bags, his 50th and 51st of the year.
He had already become the sixth player in major league history and the fastest ever to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases, needing just 126 games.
He's the only player to hit the 40-40 mark in the same game. He did it in style, too, on a game-winning grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Aug. 23.
Ohtani was even more spectacular when he surpassed 50-50, going 6 for 6 with 10 RBIs and becoming the first player in major league history with three homers and two steals in a game.
"He's very goal-oriented," Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "He likes to take down records."
Ohtani signed a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December. The two-way Japanese superstar hasn't pitched this season — his first with the Dodgers after six years with the Los Angeles Angels — as he rehabilitates after surgery for an injured elbow ligament that he had a year ago. That has allowed Ohtani to focus on his hitting.
Los Angeles leads the National League West and will be headed to the postseason in October, which will be another first for Ohtani. He didn't reach the postseason with the Angels, and they never had a winning record during his tenure in Anaheim.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
