LOS ANGELES – It only took about 15 minutes for the Los Angeles Dodgers to turn a Southern California derby into a display of power that captured the attention of all MLB.

And once again, the name at the center of that storm was Shohei Ohtani.

In the dominant 9-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium, the Japanese superstar made his mark with his 11th home run of the season, capping off an explosive first inning with 9 points – the Dodgers’ highest-scoring inning of the 2026 season and one of the most ferocious in MLB offensive plays in almost a year.

It all started in an unexpected way.

The Angels scored first when Oswald Peraza hit an RBI triple to give the visitors a 1-0 lead early in the game. But that fragile advantage was quickly wiped out when the Dodgers entered their turn.

Shohei Ohtani opened with a speedy infield single.

A few minutes later, Andy Pages set Dodger Stadium ablaze with a two-point homer, giving the home team the lead. But that was just the beginning of the Angels’ nightmare.

Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Max Muncy all came to base. Ryan Ward followed up with a double-hit for two more RBIs. Then, a critical error by shortstop Zach Neto resulted in three Dodgers scoring in a rare instance. In the blink of an eye, the score was 7-1.

And then the fans got the moment they’d been waiting for.

When Ohtani stepped up to the batter’s box for the second time in his first inning, Dodger Stadium almost rose to their feet.

Facing Brent Suter, Ohtani unleashed a perfect swing, sending the ball straight into the center field. The ball flew over the fence amidst the roar of over 50,000 spectators, turning the score to 9-1.

It was his 11th home run of the season.

It was also the moment that officially ended the Angels’ hopes, even though the game had only just begun.

Dodgers fans could hardly believe the scoreboard.

Nine points in an inning.

Eleven players stepped up to attack.

A veritable slaughter from the start of the game.

According to MLB, this was the Dodgers’ highest-scoring inning in five years and their highest-scoring inning of the season.

While Ohtani led the offensive storm, Yoshinobu Yamamoto quietly completed the rest.

After losing a point in the first inning, Yamamoto completely shut down the Angels’ offense. The Japanese batter relentlessly frustrated the opposing batters and finished the game with an impressive 8 innings, allowing only 2 hits and 1 earned run. Even more astonishing, he retired 22 consecutive batters after Peraza’s early triple-hit.

That performance brought Yamamoto’s record to 6 wins and 4 losses, further solidifying his position as a top ace in the Dodgers’ rotation.

However, the show ultimately belonged to Ohtani.

What made his performance even more special was that his opponent was the Angels – the team he played for during his first six seasons in MLB.

Every time he faced his former team, Ohtani seemed to carry a special energy.

And this time was no exception.

From his opening single to his historic home run, Ohtani was present at both the beginning and the end of the Dodgers’ most memorable offensive performance of the season.

His form is also becoming increasingly formidable.

After a somewhat subdued start to the season compared to his own extraordinary standards, Ohtani is hitting his stride at the right time. He entered June with an impressive base run and continues to show signs of a new surge in power.

The 9-2 victory extended the Dodgers’ head-to-head record against the Angels this season to 5-0. Furthermore, the overall points difference between the two teams in 2026 has now reached 41-5 – a figure reflecting the incredible disparity between the two city rivals.

For Dodgers fans, this is more than just a win.

It’s a reminder that when Shohei Ohtani starts to hit his stride, the entire league should prepare themselves.

Because with just one inning.

With just one swing.

He can turn an ordinary game into a historic night.