LOS ANGELES — Every now and then, there comes a game where Shohei Ohtani seems to bend every turn of events to his will. His ability to do that only grows when he’s on the mound, exerting his influence over both sides of the ball.
The two-way superstar can be the closest thing baseball has to an unstoppable force, as he was when he reached base a staggering nine times in Game 3 of the World Series. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be contained, as he was in Game 4.
While Ohtani is one of one as a talent, he’s one of nine in the lineup, and the Dodgers know that it’s not all on him — as much as he would like to put the team on his back.
“We’re facing quality arms this time of the year against really good teams, and we’re facing the best of the best, so I think it’s not that easy,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “But at the same time, we could do at least the bare minimum to be able to put up some runs.”
The Fall Classic will be decided in Toronto, and whichever team heads up north with the lead is, naturally, in a more favorable position. In previous best-of-seven postseason series under the current 2-3-2 format, the team playing a tiebreaking Game 5 on the road has gone on to win that series 35 of 61 times (57.4%).
In any best-of-seven series tied 2-2, the Game 5 winner also has won the series 46 of 68 times (67.6%).
“We got to win tomorrow, and then we’ll worry about the rest after that,” Max Muncy said. “As far as I’m concerned, we just have a one-game series.”
Following the instant-classic Game 3, several Dodgers marveled at the fact that Ohtani — who was on the basepaths all game long — would be their starting pitcher the next day, or technically later that night. Ohtani denied feeling any fatigue, but he was not the force at the plate he was the night before, when he was intentionally walked four times in his final five plate appearances.
While Blue Jays manager John Schneider indicated more free passes would be in Ohtani’s future, Shane Bieber pitched to him to lead off the Dodgers’ half of the game — and ended up walking him the traditional way. But Ohtani went 0-for-3 the rest of the way, including two strikeouts.
On the mound, Ohtani’s velocity was down across the board — although he reared back for more when he needed it, which manager Dave Roberts described as him pitching methodically. Ohtani gave up a go-ahead two-run homer to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a hanging sweeper in the third inning, but retired 11 of the next 12 hitters he faced through the sixth.
Since Ohtani was at 90 pitches, Roberts tried to get him through another inning. But when his first two hitters reached safely in the seventh, Ohtani was done as a pitcher. Similarly to Game 1, the Blue Jays pounced on the Dodgers’ bullpen, putting up a four-spot with Anthony Banda and Blake Treinen on the mound. Two of those runs were charged to Ohtani, who was tagged for four overall.
“He goes in with a really clear plan. He has a really good feel out there. He was making pitches out there tonight,” catcher Will Smith said. “Just that one mistake slider, a couple hits in that seventh inning.”
While the bullpen has been touch-and-go all year, the offense has been a pressing issue in the postseason. Game 3 marked the first time since the NL Wild Card Series that the Dodgers scored more than five runs — but they were held scoreless for 10 innings in between Ohtani’s game-tying blast in the seventh and Freddie Freeman’s walk-off homer in the 18th.
The Dodgers were able to work around the minimal offense when their rotation was putting up historic numbers, but now that the Blue Jays’ lineup has brought their starting pitching down to earth, they have struggled to maintain pressure on opposing pitchers.
Ohtani’s mere presence can create stress, as seen when the Blue Jays repeatedly waved him to first base in Game 3. While he and the Dodgers know he’s capable of being a one-man wrecking crew, they’re aware that they can’t rely on it every night.
“I know he doesn’t see it as pressure,” Roberts said. “I would say that’s what he expects from himself. … Every time he steps up, I expect great things to happen, and maybe unfairly.”
