Shohei Ohtani’s August power surge reached historic territory this week, beginning with his 40th home run on 9 August against the Toronto Blue Jays. The solo shot made the Los Angeles Dodgers’ designated hitter the first Japanese player to record three consecutive 40-homer seasons and four overall. Backed by Blake Snell’s five shut-out innings and 10 strikeouts, Los Angeles cruised to a 9–1 victory. Ohtani followed with round-trippers in each of the next three games. His 41st homer on 10 August pulled him level with Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber atop the National League leaderboard, although the Dodgers’ bullpen collapse cost them a late lead. One night later at Angel Stadium, he cleared the right-centre fence for No. 42—his third straight game with a blast and his 100th career homer at the ballpark where he spent his first six MLB seasons. The two-way star produced the week’s most dramatic sequence on 12 August. After lining into a sixth-inning triple play started by Angels shortstop Zach Neto—only the third such play in MLB this season—Ohtani answered in the ninth with a go-ahead solo shot off former Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen. The blast, his 43rd, gave him sole possession of the NL home-run lead and extended his hitting streak to 11 games, but Los Angeles still fell 7–6 in 10 innings, its third straight defeat. The skid dropped the Dodgers into a first-place tie with the San Diego Padres in the NL West, underscoring how Ohtani’s individual heroics have not masked the club’s broader pitching and relief issues since the All-Star break. Ohtani is scheduled to face the Angels as a pitcher on 13 August, seeking a fifth consecutive game with a homer and a halt to the Dodgers’ slide.