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Ohtani’s two homers power Dodgers’ 11-5 win

8/18/2026

Summary

Ohtani Two-Homer

Dodgers beat Rockies 11-5 in Denver as Shohei Ohtani hit two homers.
Ohtani went 4-for-5, extending his 21-game safe-hit streak at Coors Field with a .413 average.
Blake Snell (1-1) struck out five, gave up two hits and three walks, preserving his 27-inning scoreless streak until the third inning.
Ohtani reported his left knee feels better after an Orthovisc injection and a 34-pitch bullpen session, planning to throw Tuesday.

Summary

Ohtani Auction

The Realest auction of Shohei Ohtani’s game-used New Balance cleats closed on August 16, 2026 with a $440,055 bid.
The sale attracted 89 bidders and set a baseball-footwear record, beating Michael Jordan’s $93,000 cleats by $347,000.
MLB and Fanatics authenticated the cleats, which show Tokyo Dome dirt and Ohtani’s kanji signature.
MLB reported the Dodgers’ 4-1 opening-day win in Tokyo drew over 25 million viewers, the most-watched MLB game in Japan.

History

Historical Context

MLB first opened a season in Japan in 2008 when the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics played two games at Tokyo Dome, establishing a foothold for the league abroad. Building on that foothold, the 2025 Tokyo Series featured the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, and a pair of Ohtani-signature New Balance cleats later sold for $440,055, highlighting the market’s growth.

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Ohtani Two-Homer

Dodgers beat Rockies 11-5 in Denver as Shohei Ohtani hit two homers.
Ohtani went 4-for-5, extending his 21-game safe-hit streak at Coors Field with a .413 average.
Blake Snell (1-1) struck out five, gave up two hits and three walks, preserving his 27-inning scoreless streak until the third inning.
Ohtani reported his left knee feels better after an Orthovisc injection and a 34-pitch bullpen session, planning to throw Tuesday.

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