Ohtani hits grand slam in 9th inning, becomes fastest player in MLB history to join 40-40 club

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is baseball's fastest 40-40 man.

The Japanese superstar blasted a two-out grand slam in the ninth inning for his 40th homer after earlier stealing his 40th base, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.

Ohtani achieved the feat in his 126th game and the team's 129th, the quickest in major league history and sixth ever to reach 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season. He's also the first Dodgers player to do so.

“It’s really more about the winning,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “Obviously the record is part of the process but I think the most important thing is about winning the game.”

He broke the previous mark by Alfonso Soriano in Game 148 for the Washington Nationals in 2006.

“It's just storybook — 40-40 on the same night,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I don't know if that's ever been done and then he wins it with a grand slam. He's definitely known for the dramatics and this was something I'll remember for a long time.”

Ohtani's 389-foot shot snapped a 3-3 tie. Rays center fielder Jose Siri gave chase and the ball bounced back onto the field. He then threw it into the stands, so Ohtani didn't end up with the keepsake, according to Ohtani's interpreter Will Ireton.

Dodgers starter Bobby Miller was in the clubhouse watching on television when Ohtani made history.

“I kind of called that one,” he said. “I was like how cool would this be just to get that 40-40 on a walk-off grand slam? He’s a really special player.”

Ohtani took a curtain call as the crowd of 45,556 stood and cheered. Teammates Miguel Rojas and Teoscar Hernández soaked him with water on the field.

“It means a tremendous amount for me to be able to do this in front of the home crowd,” Ohtani said.

Ohtani joins Soriano, Ronald Acuna Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds and Jose Canseco in the 40-40 club. Acuna became a member last season, when he belted 41 homers and stole 73 bases.

After never making the postseason in his six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani finds himself in a pennant race with the NL West-leading Dodgers.

“The number one goal is to get to the postseason and win the World Series,” he said. “Whatever the outcome is for my record, that’s part of the process.”

In the fourth, Ohtani reached on an infield single leading off against Tyler Alexander and stole second during Freddie Freeman’s at-bat.

His 12 stolen bases in August without being caught are the most in a month by a Dodger since Rafael Furcal’s 12 for 12 in September and October 2007.

“I know that he's taking very good care of his legs to be able to do it and be that dynamic player,” Roberts said. “He's doing his homework on opposing pitchers and he's getting great jumps. He's a much better base stealer. He's very efficient.”

Roberts noted that earlier in the season and going back to when the Dodgers faced the Angels, Ohtani was tentative on the basepaths and his stolen base percentage wasn't high.

“He's an elite base stealer with a high success rate,” the manager said. “I'm sure there'll be more dramatics to come."

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge leads the majors with 49 homers. He's favored to win AL MVP honors with Ohtani predicted to do the same in the NL.

“I just don't see anyone any better, obviously Judge is in the conversation, but man, I'd take Shohei,” Roberts said.

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates with teammates after hitting a grand slam during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. The Dodgers won 7-3. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) leaves the field after hitting a grand slam during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. The Dodgers won 7-3. Will Smith, Tommy Edman, and Max Muncy also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates with manager Dave Roberts (30) after hitting a grand slam during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. The Dodgers won 7-3. Will Smith, Tommy Edman, and Max Muncy also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) runs the bases after hitting a grand slam during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. The Dodgers won 7-3. Will Smith, Tommy Edman, and Max Muncy also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) runs the bases after hitting a grand slam during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. The Dodgers won 7-3. Will Smith, Tommy Edman, and Max Muncy also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) greets third base coach Dino Ebel as he runs the bases after hitting a grand slam during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. The Dodgers won 7-3. Will Smith, Tommy Edman, and Max Muncy also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a grand slam during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. The Dodgers won 7-3. Will Smith, Tommy Edman, and Max Muncy also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) grounds out during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts as he lines out during the first inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) lines out during the first inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) greets the Tampa Bay Rays dugout during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

WRIGHTWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters battling three major wildfires in the mountains east of Los Angeles took advantage of cooler weather Wednesday as they slowly gained the upper hand, but not before dozens of homes were destroyed and thousands of people were forced to evacuate.

California is only now heading into the teeth of the wildfire season but already has seen nearly three times as much acreage burn than during all of 2023. The wildfires have threatened tens of thousands of homes and other structures across Southern California since they accelerated during a triple-digit heat wave over the weekend.

No deaths have been reported, but at least a dozen people, mainly firefighters, have been treated for injuries, mostly heat-related, authorities said.

In the small community of Wrightwood, about 90 minutes outside Los Angeles, authorities implored residents to flee the exploding Bridge Fire, which has burned more than a dozen homes in the area.

Resident Erin Arias said she was racing up the mountain when she got the order to leave and did, grabbing her passport and dog. On Wednesday, she and her husband doused water on the roof of their still-standing home. Their cat was missing, she said.

“It’s absolutely scary,” Arias said, looking at the burned embers of her neighbor’s home. “We’re really lucky.”

UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said the fire moved extraordinarily fast across complex terrain, likely giving residents less time to evacuate than usual and surprising even seasoned fire officials.

The Bridge Fire “had to go up mountain sides, burn down slope, jump across valleys, burn across new ridges, and then make it down slope again at least two other times in effectively one burning period,” he said.

The full extent of the damage caused by the fires remained unclear. The three blazes are:

— The Airport Fire in Orange County, which has burned more than 35 square miles (91 square kilometers). The fire was 5% contained Wednesday night and was reportedly sparked by heavy equipment operating in the area. Orange County Fire Capt. Steve Concialdi said eight firefighters have been treated for injuries, mostly heat-related. One resident suffered smoke inhalation and another burns, he said. Several homes burned in El Cariso Village.

— The Line Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest, which was 18% contained Wednesday and had charred 57 square miles (148 square kilometers). The blaze has injured three firefighters. Authorities said it was caused by arson in Highland. A suspect was arrested Tuesday.

— The Bridge Fire east of Los Angeles, which grew tenfold in a day and has burned 78 square miles (202 square kilometers), torched at least 33 homes and six cabins and forced the evacuation of 10,000 people. The cause of the fire is not yet known. It remained zero percent contained Wednesday night.

Gov. Gavin Newsom sent National Guard troops in to help with evacuations, and the White House said President Joe Biden was monitoring the situation.

In El Cariso Village, a community of 250 people along Highway 74 in Riverside County, an Associated Press photographer saw at least 10 homes and several cars engulfed in flames.

Orange County Fire Authority Incident Commander Kevin Fetterman said the blaze has been difficult to tame because of the terrain and dry conditions and because some areas hadn’t burned in decades.

More than 5,500 homes in Riverside County were under evacuation orders, affecting more than 19,000 residents. Several recreational cabins and structures in the Cleveland National Forest have been damaged.

In San Bernardino County, some 65,600 homes and buildings were under threat by the Line Fire, and residents along the southern edge of Big Bear Lake were told to leave Tuesday.

The Line Fire blanketed the area with a thick cloud of dark smoke, which provided shade for firefighters trying to get ahead of winds expected later Wednesday, said Fabian Herrera, a spokesperson for those battling the Line Fire.

A man from the town of Norco suspected of starting the Line Fire on Sept. 5 was arrested and charged with arson, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said. Officials did not specify what was used to start the fire.

Investigators collected evidence from the man's vehicle and home that suggests he could have been involved in starting other fires, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said Wednesday.

On the Nevada border with California near Reno, the Davis Fire forced thousands of people to evacuate over the weekend, destroyed one home and a dozen structures and charred nearly 9 square miles (23 square kilometers) of timber and brush along the Sierra Nevada’s eastern front.

Rich Meyr and Evelyn Kelley were the first arrivals at an evacuation center set up Wednesday at a recreation center in south Reno. Both said they refused to evacuate previous fires but decided to play it safe this time.

“My son’s wedding is Saturday. I threw all the flowers and gowns in the RV and we left. It looks like a garden shop inside that RV,” Kelley said. “But who wants to burn alive?”

More than 600 firefighters kept the blaze from growing Wednesday despite high winds that grounded all aircraft that had dropped retardant on the flames over the past two days. The fire was about 30% contained Wednesday night.

Thayer reported from El Cariso Village, Taxin from Santa Ana, California, and Rodriguez from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, Amy Hanson in Helena, Montana, Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles and Thomas Peipert in Denver contributed.

A jogger passes in front of haze from various wildfires over the downtown skyline Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

A partially burned flag is placed on a property in the aftermath off the Airport Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in El Cariso Village, in unincorporated Riverside, County, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Rich Meyr, 82, left, and Evelyn Kelley, 77, sit at an evacuation center for those in the path of regional wildfires, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Reno, Nevada. The two were the first — and so far only - arrivals at a new evacuation center set up Wednesday at a recreation center in south Reno where the Red Cross was prepared to handle 100 or more people if necessary. (AP Photo/Scott Sonner)

A firefighter douses flames in the perimeter of a property while battling the Bridge Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters hose down hot spots on a fire-ravaged property while battling the Bridge Fire, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A reporter takes cell phone images of the devastation left behind by the Airport Fire, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in El Cariso Village, in unincorporated Riverside County, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

A fire-ravaged property is seen after the Airport Fire swept through Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in El Cariso Village, in unincorporated Riverside, County, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

A fire-ravaged property is seen after the Airport Fire swept through Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in El Cariso Village, in unincorporated Riverside, County, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

The Bridge Fire sends a plume of smoke over properties Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Piñon Hills in San Bernardino County, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters hose down hot spots on a fire-ravaged property while battling the Bridge Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

Fire crews battle the Bridge Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

A firefighter hoses down hot spots on a fire-ravaged property while battling the Bridge Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter douses flames in the perimeter of a property while battling the Bridge Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A vehicle and surrounding forest are burned after the Bridge Fire swept through Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter hoses down hot spots on a fire-ravaged property while battling the Bridge Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter stands over burned landscape Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, near El Cariso Village, in unincorporated Riverside, County, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Haze from various wildfires hangs over the downtown skyline Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

Firefighters hose down hot spots on a fire-ravaged property while battling the Bridge Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter hoses down hot spots on a fire-ravaged property while battling the Bridge Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A firefighter douses flames in the perimeter of a property while battling the Bridge Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Members of Riverside County Cal Fire walk up a hillside while battling the Airport Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in El Cariso Village, in unincorporated Riverside, County, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

A Riverside County Fire Dept. firefighter monitors for hot spots overlooking Lake Elsinore after the Airport Fire swept through Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in El Cariso Village, in unincorporated Riverside, County, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Members of Riverside County Cal Fire monitor for hot spots while battling the Airport Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in El Cariso Village, in unincorporated Riverside, County, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

A firefighter works to contain the Bridge Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)