LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is headed to the postseason for the first time in his career after the Los Angeles Dodgers won the NL West on Thursday night by scoring five runs in the seventh inning in a 7-2 win over the second-place San Diego Padres. The Japanese superstar spent his first six MLB seasons in Anaheim, where the Los Angeles Angels never had a winning record or played in October. He signed a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers last offseason.
He made a rookie mistake, though. Ohtani wasn't wearing goggles like most of his teammates during the alcohol-soaked clubhouse celebration. He blinked hard several times and his eyes appeared red while talking to media outside the throbbing party.
“It stung a little bit in my eyes,” he said, smiling. “It was an awesome feeling and I'm hoping to be able to continue popping more champagne.” Ohtani went 3 for 5, driving in a go-ahead run and scoring another.
“Today I came to the stadium really wanting to clinch and I'm glad that we were able to do that,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. Ohtani's blue T-shirt was soaked through and his dark hair dampened. Cigar smoke spilled out of the clubhouse.
“Shohei was showered with champagne. He's going to smell like a brewery for the next week,” manager Dave Roberts said. “This is what Shohei signed up for, this is what he wanted to be a part of.
Shohei's just been remarkable this entire season.” Ohtani recently became the first player in major league .