ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Shohei Ohtani has hit his major league-leading 31st homer of the season for the Los Angeles Angels, tying Hideki Matsui's record for the most homers in a Major League Baseball season by a Japanese-born player.
Ohtani crushed a 459-foot solo shot off Baltimore's Thomas Eshelman in the third inning Sunday, clearing the ficus trees behind the center field fence.
With his 14th homer in the last 17 games, the Halos' two-way sensation tied the MLB homer record for Japanese-born players set by Matsui in 2004.
Matsui needed 159 games to hit his 31 homers for the Yankees, while Ohtani has done it in just 81 games for the Angels while also making 12 starts on the mound.