The last time somebody did what Shohei Ohtani just pulled off -- being a game's starting pitcher while leading the major leagues in home runs -- was June 13, 1921. Babe Ruth had already accumulated 19 homers when he took the mound against the Detroit Tigers that day. Ruth batted third and homered two more times, but he also gave up four fifth-inning runs and exited thereafter. It was the last start Ruth would make until 1930. By then, his two-way prowess was a distant memory.
A century later, Ohtani produced a similar line -- five innings pitched, four runs allowed -- but offered a contrasting trajectory.