The Sportsletter - Sho My Goodness! 50/50... And Then Some

BY MARISSA KASCH

SEPT. 20, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Happy Friday 🙌

We had been tracking Shohei Ohtani’s 50/50 run for weeks now. It looked like he might reach it this weekend, but why wait? Instead, the Dodgers’ $700 million man put on a show in Miami to reach 51/51. Was this the best game ever?!

Plus, Aaron Rodgers and the Jets laughed off the Patriots in an AFC East rivalry game. The WNBA Playoffs are set. And another busy fall sports weekend is upon us.

📝 Programming: Our primary writer, Jeff, is out today. Marissa Kasch is tagging in for the bulk of today's edition. Enjoy.

Letter Rip!

MLB

Sho My Goodness! 50/50 (And Then Some)

Photo: Megan Briggs / Getty Images

A Club of His Own: Shohei Ohtani Becomes 1st Member of MLB's 50/50 Club With Unbelievable 6-for-6, 3-HR, 10-RBI Night

Is there anything Shohei Ohtani can’t do? We’ve seen him set MLB records throughout his career, but the first 50/50 season is unprecedented MLB history that is difficult to comprehend. Ohtani was out of this world in the Dodgers’ 20-4 rout of the Marlins yesterday. Not only did he become the first player to reach 50 home runs and 50 steals in the same season, he has 51/51 with nine games to spare. What’s even more impressive? This might have been the best individual performance ever seen in a baseball game.

Shohei Ohtani’s Crazy Stat Line

6-for-6, 3 HRs, 10 RBIs, 2 Steals

The Magic 50 Moments: Ohtani knew what was at stake going into yesterday’s game. He got his 50th steal easily in the first inning and tacked on another stolen base in the second. His home run count was at 48, but he was just getting warmed up. Once the home runs started, they didn’t stop. He hit his first HR (49) in the sixth inning, which traveled a whopping 438 feet and came off his bat at 111.2 mph. In the seventh, with the crowd on its feet in Miami, Ohtani crushed the record-setter to opposite field. Ironically, he became the 50th player in MLB history to record a 50-HR season.

And Then Some: Ohtani didn’t stop after the seventh. He wrapped up his historic night with yet another homer in the ninth inning – this time, for three runs. He finished the day 6-for-6 with 3 HRs, 2 SBs and 10 RBIs, making up half of the Dodgers’ runs.

Putting 50/50 in Perspective: Just how impressive is this record? To put it in perspective, there have only been two other players to reach 50 homers and 50 steals in their careers, never mind in the same season. Only 200 players have recorded 50 steals. Only 50 players have recorded 50 HRs.

Shohei is once again joining the greats like Barry Bonds (73 home runs in 2001 and 52 steals in 1990) and Brady Anderson (50 home runs in 1996 and 53 steals in 1992). This time, however, he’s surpassing the legends and starting a club all of his own.

Watch: Ohtani Starts The 50/50 Club With Earth-Shattering Performance

FOX Sports: How Shohei Ohtani, Without Half His Powers, Rewrote MLB History Again

NFL

What Rivalry? Rodgers Shreds Pats

Photo: Al Bello / Getty Images

Aaron Rodgers (2 TDs) Locks In, Jets Breeze Past Pats in AFC East Battle (24-3)

Earlier this week, Aaron Rodgers scoffed at questions about the Jets-Patriots rivalry. To him — the newcomer in the AFC East — this was just another opponent. Rodgers made sure to back up his talk on Thursday, the Jets reminded us they’re a force to be reckoned with. They got the job done with a 24-3 win last night to go 2-1.

Rodgers looked like the QB we used to know, throwing for 281 yards and 2 touchdowns, and New York was firing on all cylinders. Breece Hall continued to show his ability as a dual-threat, rushing for 54 yards while racking up 29 receiving yards and a touchdown. As usual, the Jets defense looked elite, allowing only three points while totaling seven sacks and a fumble recovery.

The Patriots, on the other hand, look like they’re in trouble. In his first two weeks, Rhamondre Stevenson totaled 25 and 21 carries, respectively. Last night, New England struggled to establish a run game, with Stevenson rushing for 23 yards on only six attempts. Jacoby Brisset also struggled to find his receivers and create a productive offense. He threw for 98 yards and no touchdowns. Down 21 points, Drake Maye made his NFL debut. Even in garbage time, Maye was able to lead his offense down the field into the red zone but was unable to complete the drive as the clock expired.

QB Comparison

A. Rodgers (NYJ): 27/35, 281 yards, 2 TDs

J. Brissett (NE): 12/18, 98 yards

Other Top Performers

RB B. Hall (NYJ): 20 touches, 73 yards, 1 TD

TE T. Conklin (NYJ): 5 catches, 93 yards

WR D. Douglas (NE): 8 catches, 78 yards

Watch: Aaron Rodgers Shines as Jets Rout Patriots (24-3)

Early AFC East Standings: Bills (2-0), Jets (2-1), Dolphins (1-1), Patriots (1-2)

NFL: Patriots First-Round QB Drake Maye Makes Debut Late in Blowout vs. Jets

WNBA

The 'W' Playoffs Are Set

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Dream Secure 8th Seed on Final Day — The WNBA Playoff Bracket is Set

The WNBA regular season came down to the wire to finalize first-round matchups. But what else would we expect after one of the most thrilling and dramatic seasons in league history? The Dream claimed the No. 8 spot yesterday with a 78-67 win over Liberty. Meanwhile, the Sun got the No. 3 seed with a 33-point victory over the Sky, leaving the Aces to take the No. 4 spot. Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever (6) start the postseason in the same gym where Clark made her WNBA debut. The first round of the playoffs will be the first quadruple header in history, airing on ESPN. Now for the long-awaited bracket:

WNBA Playoffs Round 1 Matchups

(1) New York Liberty vs (8) Atlanta Dream

(2) Minnesota Lynx vs (7) Phoenix Mercury

(3) Connecticut Sun vs (6) Indiana Fever

(4) Las Vegas Aces vs (5) Seattle Storm

All four Game 1s will be played on Sunday, with the first round concluding by Friday, Sept. 27 at the latest. WNBA Playoff Schedule

Sporting News: How Does the WNBA Playoff Format Work? Explaining the 2024 Bracket, Postseason Matchups

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STORYLINES

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⚾️ MLB Playoffs 2024 Tracker

As the MLB regular season comes to a close, where does your team stand in terms of clinching a playoff berth? (Yahoo Sports)

🏀 Round 1 of the WNBA Playoffs

Three sweeps? Any upsets? X-factors and matchups matter. Experts predict the opening round of the WNBA Playoffs after a historic season. (ESPN)

NEWS 📰

⚾️ Guards Walk Off Into October! Cleveland Clinches Postseason Berth (MLB)

🏈 Bryce Young Says Panthers' Benching Decision 'Not Something I Expected' (CBS Sports)

🏈 Arch Manning to Get First Start for Texas as Quinn Ewers Recovers (ESPN)

⛳️ Bryson DeChambeau Given the Go-Ahead to Play in Ryder Cup (Yahoo Sports)

⚾️ Yankees’ Juan Soto to Get X-Rays on ‘Scary’ Knee Injury (B/R)

🏀 Tina Charles Sets 2 WNBA Records as Dream Clinch Final Playoff Spot (ESPN)