Shohei Ohtani set a major league record by homering and stealing a base in the same game for the 14th time and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the last-place Colorado Rockies 6-4 on Friday night.

The win reduced the NL West-leading Dodgers’ magic number to four to clinch the division. Los Angeles is already assured of a postseason berth.

Ohtani’s 52nd homer and 52nd stolen base allowed him to break the previous mark of 13 games with at least one of each set by Rickey Henderson in 1986 with the New York Yankees.

“He’s lights out clearly,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think he’s ramped up his focus.”

Teoscar Hernández hit a go-ahead homer — his 30th — leading off the sixth inning that gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. He and Ohtani have homered in the same game 11 times.

SHOHEI OHTANI
HOME RUN NO. 52
FOR THE LEAD 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kIfpUGO8iA

— MLB (@MLB) September 21, 2024

“It’s great being a teammate with Shohei, especially because of the things he’s been doing this year,” Hernández said.

The Dodgers tacked on two runs in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Tommy Edman scored on Mookie Betts’ sacrifice fly. Ohtani legged out an infield single to first base and then stole second. He was safe at third on a throwing error by center fielder Sam Hilliard and scored on Hernández’s infield single.

Ohtani had a go-ahead homer with two outs in the fifth after Andy Pages led off the inning with a solo shot. It was Ohtani’s 27th homer at Dodger Stadium, tying Cody Bellinger for the most at home in a single season.

SHOHEI OHTANI
HOME RUN NO. 52
FOR THE LEAD 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kIfpUGO8iA

— MLB (@MLB) September 21, 2024

“To be able to cover that ball at the top of the zone, above the zone, go to the big part of the field, it’s pretty spectacular,” Roberts said.

Ohtani singled in the third and finished with his 11th three-hit performance of the season.

SHOHEI OHTANI
HOME RUN NO. 52
FOR THE LEAD 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kIfpUGO8iA

— MLB (@MLB) September 21, 2024

He gave the crowd of 49,073 some thrills after the home fans had to watch long distance Thursday night when he became the first player in major league history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a season at Miami.

The Rockies got home runs by Charlie Blackmon, Hilliard and Michael Toglia.

Alex Vesia (4-4) got the victory with one inning of relief. Michael Kopech pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

Colorado’s Kyle Freeland (5-8) took the loss, giving up four runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out two and didn’t walk anyone for the fourth time this season.

Ryan Brasier pitched the first inning to open the bullpen game for the Dodgers.

Let it fly, Andy. pic.twitter.com/Ew7hfPpCgu

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 21, 2024

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: RHP Tyler Kinley went on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation.

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (toe) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session and hopes to face hitters next week. … RHP Anthony Banda (hand) will throw a bullpen this weekend.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Cal Quantrill (8-10, 4.68 ERA) makes his second start Saturday since coming off the IL. He’s 1-5 in his career against LA.

Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (1-5, 5.54) is looking for just his second win of the season. He got hit hard by the Rockies on June 18, giving up seven hits, seven runs and two homers.

A small taco stand on the corner of 7th Street and Termino Avenue that has become a favorite may soon be serving its last taco in Long Beach due to the city’s new street vendor rules.

Lines wrap around the block for the family-run and operated taco stand, Tacos Uziel. Owners Adriana Mancia and Luiz Perez said they started the taco stand for their son’s future.

“My taqueria is called Taco Uziel thanks to my son,” said Mancia. “We started this business for his future, so he won’t have to suffer as much as we had to.”

The young couple migrated separately from Oaxaca but met in Southern California as they worked for other stands around Los Angeles.

“I learned to cook little by little,” said Perez.

The training paid off with rave reviews of the stand’s el pastor and carne asada tacos. 

“Sometimes the lines go all the way to the driveway back here, but we will stand in line because it’s that good,” said Chris Marquis, who lives in Long Beach and frequents Taco Uziel. “Hopefully they stay in Long Beach.”

The smell coming from the charcoal grill is enticing enough for drivers passing by to make a pitstop.

“I can smell the food from my car and I had to stop here,” said Donna Aragon, who lives in Long Beach and came for the first time with her husband to taste the tacos. 

“It makes you hungry, even if you’re not,” said Keith Aragon.

Despite the taco stand’s popularity, Long Beach’s new vendor rules may force the stand to move. 

“We don’t know how much longer we have here,” said Mancia.

Long Beach has been cracking down on unpermitted stands after working for months to educate owners on the new rules passed in February.

The city has even waived the cost of permits as well as licenses and is giving away 40 pre-approved carts that are now required.

To qualify for those carts you have to live in Long Beach.

The couple lives in Compton and said the permit process is difficult to understand.

“It’s very difficult to get permits because there are a lot of regulations for street vendors,” said Mancia,

The owners say if the city forces them to move, they’ll leave Long Beach for another city with more lenient rules. 

Customers say it would be a big loss to Long Beach, not just the food, but the dream of a small family to give their 4-year-old a brighter future.

“If they move, we will follow,” said customer Maria Marquis. “Tell me where they are. Instead of walking over, we will drive over, whatever it needs to be.”

“I feel mutilated and felt lied to,” said Toni Arken, a former patient of Dr. Arian Mowlavi. “I just don’t even understand how someone could work like this.”

Arken had surgery with Mowlavi in 2018. Her experience is detailed in a recently amended medical board accusation against the plastic surgeon also known as Dr Laguna.

His strong social media presence drew her to his practice. She said she thought she would be in the best hands after reading more about his background. 

“He’s training all these doctor. He’s written books,” said Arken. “He’s got to be it. It’s Laguna Beach.”

Arken wanted a Brazilian butt lift or BBL, but she said the consultation led to Mowlavi convincing her she needed so much more.

I feel mutilated and I felt lied to … I just don’t even understand how someone could work like this.

Toni Arken, former patient of Dr. Mowlavi

“He grabs me. He’s like, ‘Look,’” said Arken. “He grabs me about 2 inches above my vagina while I’m naked and grabs me right underneath my breast from behind me, so he’s behind me. And he’s pulling, cinching up and cinching down and (saying) ‘We can give you abs and all of this.’”

The I-Team spoke with Arken and two other former patients of Mowlavi who said they were also upsold on other procedures and felt bullied by him. 

Mcayla Sarno said minutes before her surgery, while she was disrobed and already medicated, Mowlavi questioned what they were doing with her breasts. Sarno said she was shocked. 

“If I give the wrong answer or explain it wrong, I’m about to go into surgery,” Sarno said. “I asked, ‘Can I get my phone and show you some photos?’ And that’s when the ridicule began with this constant, ‘You’re making this very difficult. It’s not that hard.’”

Former patient Chalene Johnson said she also felt bullied.

“We’re strong women. I mean, she’s a doctor,” said Johnson about Sarno. “We are professionals, and to find yourself in that situation, It’s hard. It’s hard to even explain to other people because you’re intelligent, all of your red flags are going off. But it’s a renowned doctor, it’s an author, it’s someone who’s supposedly critically acclaimed.”

Arken, Sarno and Johnson were among more than 30 plaintiffs in a civil suit Mowlavi recently settled for $6 million. So too was a patient who asked to be called Bobbi to protect her identity.

“It was the scariest experience of my life,” she said. 

She is Patient A in the amended medical board accusation. Days after her surgery with Mowlavi, she was rushed to the ER and eventually transferred to the burn unit at UCI where she stayed in a medically induced coma for more than a week.

“It turned septic,” Bobbi explained, “which then caused kidney failure, liver failure and damage to my heart.”

For months after her procedures, Arken said she could barely move.

“I couldn’t even get up and stand up long enough to make my kids dinner,” said Arken.

At the end of the day, I don’t want this guy to hurt another person.

Toni Arken, former patient of Dr. Mowlavi

She said to this day, she cannot do a sit up as a result. And she said she still reflects on her traumatizing consultation with Mowlavi.

“I kept kind of arguing, and he’s like, “Listen, it’s only going to be about a 4 to 6 inch scar,” said Arken, and then questioned what he was planning. “I just don’t know,” she said. “I don’t like how that’s pulled up and he (said), ‘I know what a p***y should look like.’ It was just overwhelming.”

She said Mowlavi’s insistence on giving her a vagina lift had devastating results.

“Every day when I go the restroom I will pee out on the seat and usually pee on my leg a little bit, which is very embarrassing and not something I like talking about.”

When she obtained her medical records from Mowlavi’s office a year and a half after her surgery, she discovered her operative note listed her name, but a wrong birthdate and incorrect details of her surgery.

“His name’s on here, signed and dated that day after,” said Arken, holding up her incorrect operative note. “So it’s not me at all, 100%.”

In June 2023, Laguna Beach police raided Mowlavi’s office and investigators removed boxes of records and computers. In July of this year, the Orange County District Attorney’s office filed two felony counts of battery with serious bodily injury against Mowlavi related to two patients. He has not yet entered a plea. A civil suit filed by the DA’s office in June of last year accused Mowlavi of 19 unlawful business practices. But that suit is on hold until the criminal case is resolved.

The I-Team reached out to Dr. Mowlavi’s attorneys who are handling his civil and criminal cases, but they did not respond to the request for comment.

Former patients who have spoken to the I-Team said a primary reason they came forward is to protect others from experiencing their pain and suffering.

“At the end of the day, I don’t want this guy to hurt another person,” said Arken

There is also frustration among former patients.

The first medical board investigation noted on Mowlavi’s record involved the death of one of his patients in 2018. But that accusation wasn’t made pubic until August of 2021 and wasn’t resolved until October 2022 — more than four years later — with 10 years probation and a 90 day suspension of his license to practice.

Chalene Johnson doesn’t understand the board’s lack of transparency.

“If you’re not able to do your research by the governmental agencies that are supposedly established to protect your best interest, then who can we trust?” asked Johnson.

While Mowlavi’s medical license is currently restricted, he continues to consult with prospective patients. When we called last week to book a consultation, we were offered multiple dates to meet with Mowlavi.

Instead of Dr. Laguna, he now appears to be branding his business as SurgiSculpt, a name trademarked by an LLC registered in his wife’s name, using the address of Mowlavi’s original surgical center in Laguna Beach.

Dr. Mowlavi is expected in court September 25 for arraignment on the two felony criminal charges. A hearing is scheduled for March of next year on the latest accusation by the medical board.