Shohei Ohtani has achieved the milestone of 40 home runs for the fourth time in his career, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a big win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Ohtani has only been with the Dodgers for two years, but he has already made his mark in the team's history.

Ohtani's 40th home run of the season came against Chris Bassitt, with an exit velocity of 107.8 mph. According to Statcast's baseball tracking system, the ball traveled 417 feet, heading directly towards center field. This home run gave the Dodgers some breathing room, and they exploded offensively to win the game 9-1 against the Blue Jays.

“That was a swing where he really got the barrel out in front. His balance was very steady,” said manager Dave Roberts. “I know he and the hitting coaches have been making some adjustments to his mechanics. That was one of the best swings I've seen.”

This home run marks Ohtani's second consecutive season with at least 40 home runs, placing him among the few players in Dodgers history to achieve this feat multiple times:

Duke Snider, five times from 1953 to 1957

Gil Hodges, twice in 1951 and 1954

Shawn Green, twice from 2001 to 2002

When Ohtani hit his 40th home run, the team had only played 117 games, making him the fastest player in Dodgers history to reach this milestone.

Ohtani has now hit at least 40 home runs for three consecutive seasons. He is currently the only active player with four seasons of 40 home runs, although Yankees' Aaron Judge and possibly Mets' Pete Alonso also have a chance to reach this achievement this year.

Ohtani's stunning home run helped the Dodgers take a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning. In the previous inning, Max Muncy scored first with a two-run shot to the opposite field, marking his third home run since returning from the injured list on Monday.

First came the long ball, then the Dodgers used small ball tactics to overwhelm the Blue Jays.

Dalton Rushing, Mookie Betts, and Andy Pages each contributed two RBIs during a six-run rally in the sixth inning. This was the Dodgers' highest single-inning run total since June 25 (when they scored six runs in the fourth inning against Colorado) and it's been a while since they achieved back-to-back wins at home (July 2-4 against the White Sox).

“I think we just had a mindset of passing the bat down the lineup, moving forward one at a time,” Rushing said. “When we do that, execute small ball, capitalize on the little mistakes the opponent makes, and take advantage of the situations, I feel like we’re tough to beat.”

This offensive explosion was enough to help the Dodgers win the first two games against the Blue Jays and provide support for Blake Snell. Snell struck out 10 batters while throwing five scoreless innings, securing his first win since his season debut and his second start since returning from a four-month stint on the injured list.

Snell's return has strengthened the rotation to its best point of the season. Muncy's return has lengthened the lineup and improved overall offensive production. The Dodgers' bullpen is still missing some key members, but they have fully stepped up against the best team in the American League.

“Having a dominant starting pitcher on the mound undoubtedly eases our pressure and allows us to focus on our at-bats and do what we need to do,” said Michael Conforto. He left the game after being hit on the right knee but felt fine. “From top to bottom, the entire lineup is hitting well.”

Especially crucial was that Ohtani, Betts, and Freddie Freeman all got into the groove early in the game.

Since resuming pitching in June, Ohtani's overall numbers have declined, but he is on a streak of eight consecutive games with a hit, during which he has 14 hits in 31 at-bats and scored 10 runs. Betts' recent success has shown in a smaller sample size, but after a five-game hitless slump, he has 7 hits in 17 at-bats and contributed 5 RBIs.

“I think when Mookie goes through a slump, the opponents have a common strategy to either make Ohtani chase bad pitches or pitch around him... that’s based on Mookie’s state at the time,” Roberts said. “So now with Mookie back, even if they pitch around him, he can still drive in runs in those critical moments. Good at-bats add energy and depth to our lineup.”