Shohei Ohtani breaks Ichiro record, but Dodgers know he hasnt really got going yet

Friday was Shohei Ohtani bobblehead giveaway night at Dodger Stadium.Which meant, given Ohtani’s penchant to perform on such occasions, manager Dave Roberts had even higher expectations than normal for the four-time MVP.“I thought he was gonna hit a home run tonight,” Roberts joked.“I think he wanted a home run tonight, on his bobblehead night.”Alas, in a dramatic 8-7 win over the Rangers, Ohtani instead took a backseat to Max Muncy’s and Andy Pages’ starring displays.Muncy hit three home runs in the victory, going 4-for-5 with a walk-off shot in the bottom of the ninth.Pages was 3-for-3 with four RBIs and a homer, maintaining MLB’s early-season batting lead with a .449 average.Ohtani, by comparison, had only a fifth-inning single and an intentional walk in the eighth.On the year, he is now batting just .265 with an .875 OPS –– quality production, but clearly below his personal standards.“He’s taking walks, getting hits,” Roberts said.

“(But) he hasn’t really got going yet.”Friday still came with an historical achievement for the two-way talent.With his fifth-inning single, Ohtani extended his streak of reaching safely in regular-season play to a whopping 44 games going back to last year.That is the longest run currently active in the majors.It is the third-longest in the Dodgers’ Los Angeles franchise history.

Most notably, it left Ohtani alone among all Japanese-born players in MLB history, passing the previous high mark Ichiro Suzuki set back in 2009 with the Seattle Mariners.Apparently, a newly-unveiled stadium statue wasn’t the only thing of Ichiro’s to be broken Friday.For Roberts, such accomplishments are a reminder of Ohtani’s larger value and presence.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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