Shohei Ohtani launched his third home run and had two other extra-base hits in a 3-for-5 outing Monday as the Los Angeles Dodgers came back to beat the Minnesota Twins 4-2.
Batting second as designated hitter in the Dodgers' high-powered lineup, Ohtani hit line-drive doubles in the first and sixth innings before going deep with a solo shot in the top of the seventh at Target Field in Minneapolis.
He got hold of a 2-1 slider from former Hiroshima Carp and Lotte Marines right-hander Jay Jackson (0-1) and sent it arcing high above the opposite field before landing just over the fence.
Ohtani, who also had two runs scored, extended his streak of multiple-hit games to five, his longest since arriving in the majors in 2018.
That five-game stretch, following a relatively quiet start to the season, includes all three of his home runs and eight extra-base hits in total.
Freddie Freeman put the Dodgers on the board with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first before Manuel Margot's two-run homer gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead in the third.
Will Smith scored Ohtani with a single to tie it 2-2 in the sixth. James Outman's solo blast put the Dodgers back in front in the seventh before Ohtani completed the scoring with the second home run of the inning.
The two-way star, who is staying off the mound this year following elbow surgery last September, revealed before the game he has resumed pitching practice and is ramping up how much he throws.
"It feels like I'm progressing smoothly as I gradually increase my strength and number of pitches," he said.
Los Angeles newcomer James Paxton (2-0) got the win after a six-inning start. He struck out four and allowed two runs on three hits and a walk.
At Petco Park, San Diego Padres starter Yu Darvish got knocked out early before his team fought back for a 9-8 win against the Chicago Cubs.
The Japanese right-hander gave up four runs on four hits and three walks over three innings. The Padres scored seven runs to trail 8-7 in the bottom of the sixth before taking the lead in the eighth.
Robert Suarez, who twice led Japan's Central League in saves, recorded his fourth for the Padres, while Seiya Suzuki went 1-for-3 with a run scored and two walks as the Cubs' designated hitter.
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