Watch Shohei Ohtani set the tone with a must-see leadoff homer in Game 1 of the Dodgers NL Wild Card Series against the Reds

The first roar of October came early at Chavez Ravine on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds.

Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar, wasted no time electrifying the Dodger Stadium crowd. 

Facing hometown fireballer Hunter Greene, Ohtani turned on a 100 mph fastball and launched it deep into the right-field pavilion on the fourth pitch of the at-bat. 

The leadoff home run gave the Dodgers a quick 1-0 lead and set off a thunderous ovation from the sold-out crowd.

It was the kind of moment Los Angeles fans had been dreaming about since Ohtani signed with the Dodgers last winter — the Japanese icon igniting October with a swing that carried both power and promise. It was his fourth career postseason home run, after hitting three during the Dodgers journey to the championship in 2024. It was his second career playoff homer at Dodger Stadium. 

Just minutes earlier, Blake Snell had opened his postseason debut for L.A. with a clean 1-2-3 inning, silencing a dangerous Reds lineup. Then, Ohtani stepped in, and with one swing, turned anticipation into euphoria.

Greene, the 26-year-old Los Angeles native, came into the night known for his triple-digit velocity. But on this night, the heat met history. Ohtani’s home run shifted the atmosphere inside the stadium in instant. It left his bat at a whopping 117.7 MPH and traveled 375 feet into the right field pavilion. 

Dodger Stadium shook as Ohtani rounded the bases, the scoreboard flashing, the fans already believing. In October baseball, moments become memories, and on this night, Ohtani gave the Dodgers their first.