But such is Ohtani’s unique status in the game that he made history simply by stepping up to the plate – the 31-year-old is the first player in Major League history to start at least one game as a pitcher and at least one as a non-pitcher in the same postseason.

Shohei Ohtani has never taken the mound at Citizens Bank Park, let alone in a highly charged playoff game. But from his previous experience hitting at the Phillies' home ballpark, he knows to expect intensity from the crowd and a rocking atmosphere from start to finish.

Good news for the Dodgers, Ohtani the ace was about as good as he needed to be on the mound — with a little pop from teammate Teoscar Hernández to help along the way — for the two-way star to win his playoff pitching debut. With more than 45,000 ...

The Dodgers star could have tried something new to overcome his struggles at the plate but he made the right choice—staying uniquely himself.

Had anyone chosen an unfortunate moment to blink, the sounds echoing around a nearly empty Dodger Stadium would have told the whole story. An impossibly loud crack of the bat. Immediate exclamations of awe.

Shohei Ohtani is finally going to be on the mound in a postseason game. Will his pitching prove to be the difference in the NLDS?

So, while it looks like Ohtani is doing it all by himself, remember—even without his three homers, the Dodgers would have won Game 4 (though those 10 strikeouts sure helped, too). It’s a team sport, and this Dodgers team is showing us all how it’s done.

Just when you think you've finally seen it all from Shohei Ohtani, he finds yet another way to make history -- and then another … and another.