Dodgers Celebrating Shohei Ohtani’s Epic Walk-Off Grand Slam Was a Priceless Moment

Kristen Wong | Aug 24, 2024

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Of all the iconic photographs from Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s walk-off grand slam on Friday night, one postgame snapshot may take the cake.

Ohtani joined the elite 40-40 club in the Dodgers’ 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, closing out the game with a two-out walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning. He’s only the sixth player in MLB history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season and was the fastest ever to do so, achieving the feat in his 126th game. 

At the end of Ohtani’s historic night, he met with sideline reporter Kirsten Watson for a postgame interview. His Dodgers teammates decided to surprise him with a well-deserved Gatorade shower, causing Ohtani to let out a hysterical scream.

Hit first career walk-off HR ✅
Join the 40/40 club ✅
Get a postgame shower ✅ pic.twitter.com/LXonGOXuxw

— MLB (@MLB) August 24, 2024

What a special moment for the 30-year-old star.

Ohtani is now part of the prestigious 40-40 club that includes the likes of Ronald Acuna Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, and others. Ohtani, who never made the postseason during his six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, is on a much more promising trajectory with the NL West-leading Dodgers this year.

“It means a tremendous amount for me to be able to do this in front of the home crowd,” Ohtani told Watson via his translator. “I was really focused on winning the game… Number one goal is to get to the postseason and win the World Series, and whatever the outcome is for my record, that’s part of the process.”