MIAMI —
On the eve of Shohei Ohtani’s greatest night in the majors, Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough made a prediction.
As a key character in Ohtani’s chase for 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases this season, McCullough had watched much of the Japanese star’s campaign from the first base coach’s box, marveling at the pursuit of a landmark no player had even come close to reaching.
“He’s gonna get it,” McCullough predicted, confident Ohtani had enough time over the season’s final two weeks to complete history.
Then, the coach offered a bolder, more tantalizing take.