Shohei Ohtani looked up. He noticed the crowd of fans cheering him on, despite playing as the away team.
And as a reward, he gave them one of the best individual performances in the history of Major League Baseball.
On Thursday, Ohtani became the first player to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season, delivering the most spectacular performance of his career with two home runs and a pair of steals in the game where the Los Angeles Dodgers crushed the Miami Marlins 20-4.
"This was something I wanted to achieve as soon as possible and that I will remember for a long time," said Ohtani.
The Japanese star also became the first player with three home runs and two stolen bases in the same game. As if that wasn't enough, he hit a couple of doubles, achieved a career-best with six hits, and set a Dodgers record with 10 RBIs.
His 51 home runs in the current season broke the franchise record, which was 49 and was set by Shawn Green in 2001.
Ohtani started the day with two home runs and an unprecedented 50/50 club steal. As an appetizer, he hit a double in his first at-bat against Dominican Edward Cabrera (4-8) and stole third base to reach fifty steals.
He was part of a double steal, along with Freddie Freeman, who reached base on a walk.
Ohtani stole his 51st base in the second inning. He has been successful in his last 28 steal attempts.
His 49th home run came in the sixth inning, when he found a slider from the Dominican George Soriano, with a 1-1 count, and catapulted the ball 438 feet from home plate, depositing it in the second level of the stands between right field and center field.
That blow put the Dodgers ahead by 9-3.
In the seventh inning, Ohtani achieved the historic hit, to the left field to drive in two runs against reliever Mike Baumann.
At the beginning of the inning, fans raised their phones to record the video of the moment. Many chanted in unison for Ohtani to be named the Most Valuable Player as he rounded the bases.
"I was about to cry, to be honest," said Venezuelan shortstop Miguel Rojas, Ohtani's teammate. "There are so many emotions because of everything that happens behind the scenes and that we witness every day."
The Dodgers gathered to congratulate the outstanding player when he arrived at the dugout. The 15,548 fans started chanting the name of the visiting star until he came out of the dugout to receive an ovation.
Far from being moved and relaxed, the 700 million dollar superstar continued to shine.
In the ninth inning, he hit the ball 440 feet between right field and center field to drive in three runs against Dominican Vidal Bruján, who usually plays as a second baseman but was brought to the mound as a desperate solution in the midst of the blowout.
"To be honest, I was the most surprised by what happened today. I have no idea how it came about, but I am grateful that things turned out well," Ohtani said.
Ohtani's historic performance nearly included hitting for the cycle. He was thrown out at third base when trying to turn his second double into a triple.
"This guy is not real!" posted NBA star LeBron James on social media X.
The Dodgers, leaders of the National League West Division, secured their twelfth consecutive playoff berth and reduced their "magic number" to six games to clinch the division title.
It was another memorable night for Ohtani at LoanDepot Park, where he struck out American player Mike Trout, who was his teammate at the Angels at the time, for the final out of the World Baseball Classic, won by Japan.
"Here I have had perhaps the most outstanding moments of my career," Ohtani commented. "And this stadium is now one of my favorites."
Already considered the best current player in the majors, with achievements as a pitcher and batter that even surpass some of Babe Ruth's, Ohtani has reached new heights with the bat in a year where an elbow ligament injury has sidelined him from the mound.
Ohtani signed his 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December. He spent six years with the Angels.
Preparation was key for Ohtani to become the first member of the 50/50 club. He used to talk to hitting coaches and study videos of opposing pitchers to understand their tendencies against batters and runners.
"I see all the work he dedicates to this," recently said catcher Will Smith. "It's not like he goes out there and finds everything to be very easy. He works harder than anyone. He studies a lot and plays like a different sport, which is fun to watch."
The starter Jack Flaherty (13-7) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings. He issued a pair of walks and struck out five batters.
For the Dodgers, Puerto Rican Kiké Hernández went 2-1 with one run scored. Cuban Andy Pagés went 5-2 with three runs scored and three RBIs.
For the Marlins, Dominicans Jesús Sánchez went 0 for 5, Otto López went 1 for 3 with a run scored, and Cristian Pache went 0 for 1. Venezuelan Jhonny Pereda went 1 for 1.