LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani bounded by way of the puddles of Budweiser and the plumes of cigar smoke polluting the Dodgers clubhouse. He wore a smile as he emerged, drenched however delighted, from the bacchanalia because the workforce celebrated its victory over the Padres within the Nationwide League Division Collection. On his approach out of the room, Ohtani handed the person who inked him to a $700 million contract final winter, particularly to stage events like this.
“You understand,” proprietor Mark Walter stated to vp of baseball improvement Raúl Ibañez, “that’s the primary playoff collection win for Shohei.”
Ohtani isn’t an afterthought, however Sport 5 marked the uncommon event by which he was not a foremost character. Yoshinobu Yamamoto silenced San Diego for 5 innings. Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández supplied the most important swings. Ohtani by no means reached base. It was a quiet ending to a postseason that opened for Ohtani with a bang.
The Dodgers might not have superior to face the Mets within the Nationwide League Championship Collection with out Ohtani’s three-run shot towards San Diego in Sport 1. The homer revived the membership after Yamamoto noticed San Diego an early lead. Throughout the subsequent 4 video games, San Diego stored him from smashing balls over the fence and inflicting havoc on the bases. Ohtani went 2-for-15 with eight strikeouts after Sport 1.
Ohtani’s relative chilly streak didn’t sink the membership. Mookie Betts got here alive with homers in Sport 3 and Sport 4. Teoscar Hernández posted a 1.067 OPS. Kiké Hernandez fortified his popularity as an October darling. The output was sufficient to place away San Diego.
“Twenty-six guys are gonna win it,” Betts stated. “Not simply Ohtani. Not simply Mookie. Not simply Yamamoto. It’s gonna take all of us. We confirmed that we’ve a well-rounded workforce.”
But their largest star will all the time be Ohtani. The Dodgers survived a five-game brawl with San Diego however didn’t emerge unscathed. Freddie Freeman remains to be nursing a sprained ankle. Miguel Rojas is restricted by a groin damage. The group may use Ohtani replicating his efficiency within the closing two weeks of the season, when he hit .547 with seven house runs and 11 stolen bases.
Ohtani stole 59 luggage within the common season and none within the NLDS, partly as a result of the Padres stored him off the bases. Supervisor Dave Roberts acknowledged that towards San Diego Ohtani chased pitches “extra outdoors the hitting zone than he (had) within the final, name it, six to eight weeks.” Roberts steered that development might not proceed towards the Mets, largely as a result of the Mets don’t make use of pitchers like Padres right-handed starter Yu Darvish and left-handed reliever Tanner Scott.
Darvish retired Ohtani six occasions in six plate appearances cut up between Sport 2 and Sport 5. The Padres neutralized Ohtani late in video games with Scott. Ohtani confronted Scott 4 occasions. He struck out every time. The pitchers introduced a blueprint for dealing with Ohtani. The problem for the Mets will probably be figuring out if any of their pitchers can comply with it.
Darvish befuddled Ohtani. Scott overwhelmed him. For the Mets, just one path appears seemingly on this collection.
A part of the problem entails personnel. The Mets carried solely two left-handed relievers within the NLDS towards Philadelphia. David Peterson is a transformed starter who handles lengthier assignments; he’s prone to comply with Kodai Senga in Sport 1. The opposite lefty, Danny Younger, didn’t seem towards the Phillies. His fastball sits round 91 mph — a far cry from Scott’s higher-octane arsenal.
Rival evaluators imagine pitchers can disarm Ohtani by firing fastballs up and in. That’s thought of a gap Ohtani has not but closed. But reaching that location might be perilous. Misses can leak over the plate, within the form of spot the place Ohtani can ship them into orbit. Going through Ohtani, Scott didn’t miss. He pumped fastballs for strikes and finally lured him out of the strike zone with high-90s warmth.
The Mets don’t make use of a reliever able to mirroring Scott. However their starters may take some cues from Darvish. Dodgers officers view the Mets beginning rotation as a power of their opponents, particularly the left-handed duo of Sport 2 starter Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana, who will begin both Sport 3 or Sport 4.
No pitcher can actually mimic Darvish, who throws so many variations of so many alternative pitches that his arsenal may stretch into double digits. However Manaea throws six pitches. Quintana throws 5. They may attempt to combine and match to bait Ohtani, as Darvish did.
Roberts famous that Ohtani idolized Darvish in his youth. It was potential, the supervisor stated, that added a layer of nerves to Ohtani’s at-bats. That dynamic is not going to exist towards the Mets.
“So suffice to say,” Roberts stated, “I’m blissful that we’ve rid ourselves of Yu Darvish and we are able to form of transfer ahead.”
(High photograph of Shohei Ohtani hanging out within the NLDS: Harry How / Getty Photos)