LOS ANGELES – Shohei Ohtani does more before the fifth inning than most players do all game.

With over 40,000 fans wearing his World Series ring (the promotional giveaway Wednesday) after lining up hours before the game to get theirs, Ohtani struck out eight in a season-high four innings pitched and gave himself the lead with a 440-foot, two-run home run that just happened to also be his 1,000th hit in the major leagues.

But it wasn’t enough.

The Dodgers let a two-run lead melt in the heat. Alex Vesia and Brock Stewart gave up three runs in the final two innings of a 5-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals took two out of three in the series.

A week after having to leave the game as a pitcher due to cramping in his right hip, Ohtani was feeling frisky against the Cardinals.

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