NEW YORK -- Breaking news: Shohei Ohtani got a hit with nobody on base.

A big one.

Silencing the noise about his strange splits to start this postseason -- 7-for-9 with runners on base and 0-for-22 with 11 strikeouts with the bases empty through Game 3 of the National League Championship Series -- Ohtani led off Game 4 with a laser beam homer to right-center field for a quick 1-0 Dodgers lead.

The seventh leadoff home run in Dodgers postseason history was a no-doubter off Mets lefty Jose Quintana. It sailed a Statcast-projected 422 feet after leaving Ohtani’s bat at 117.8 mph, making it the third-hardest homer in the postseason since Statcast began tracking in 2015.

1. Kyle Schwarber, 2022 NLCS G1: 119.7 mph
2. Giancarlo Stanton, 2020 ALDS G2: 118.3 mph
3. Ohtani, 2024 NLCS G4: 117.8 mph

Here are the Dodgers’ other leadoff homers in the postseason:

David Freese (2): 2018 NLCS G6, 2018 WS G5
Joc Pederson: 2018 NLDS G1
Chris Taylor: 2017 World Series G1
Carl Crawford: 2013 NLDS G4
Davey Lopes: 1978 World Series G6

For Ohtani, it was picking up where he left off in Game 3, with a moonshot of a three-run homer that sailed over the right-field foul pole in the eighth inning.

“I'm excited for him. I think the moment isn't too big,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said going into Game 4. “I think that you've seen other superstars in years past, their first postseason, you could see them trying too hard. I don't see that with Shohei. But I will say that that homer [Wednesday] night was really good to see for him.

“I don't think there's a hitter that says when runners are in scoring position that they're not more focused. I think that is a part of it. But I still like him in any spot.”