NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani perks up when he hears his name.
Dodgers backup catcher Austin Barnes said, “I told him to hit the ball over the fence'' after Ohtani's three-run moonshot in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series in an 8-0 victory over the Mets. I said,” he said.
“It's not bad advice,” Ohtani said.
Barnes clapped his hands three times. “It's like, 'Climb over the fence today.'”
Ohtani left the stadium with a big smile on his face, two wins away from the World Series.
“It was great coaching,” Ohtani said.
The match won't be that easy for Ohtani. But sometimes he makes it look that way, as he did in the eighth inning Wednesday when he hit a ball that could have landed in Flushing Bay if Citi Field's second deck wasn't in the way.
Shohei Ohtani has no bases and no hits in 22 at-bats, but he has seven hits in nine at-bats with runners on. (Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
The home run sent a line of Mets fans to the exits, extended Ohtani's bizarre postseason absence, and eased manager Dave Roberts' nerves. The Dodgers arrive in Queens this week hoping to get through a three-game series while using starting pitchers who won't last long in a game. Otani extended his lead with one swing and defended the bullpen. Roberts didn't need to use high-leverage relievers Evan Phillips and Daniel Hudson. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 4, so the team should include Phillips and Hudson, as well as Blake Treinen and Michael Kopech, who pitched two scoreless innings on Wednesday.
“Those kinds of things are important,” Roberts said.
This is Ohtani's first time participating in the postseason. Although he has competed under the microscope for most of his professional career, never before have American audiences studied his bats at such a detailed level. He had two hits in the Game 1 win and two walks in the Game 2 loss. But in the final months of the season, he made it seem like the game was very simple — every time he saw a pitch he hit with a lot of force — so every ball he hit looked like the harbinger of a long slump.
Roberts suggested Ohtani was swinging at pitches outside the strike zone too often. Against Mets starting pitcher Sean Mananea in Game 2, he looked lost. Before the Dodgers practiced at Citi Field on Tuesday, Ohtani dodged questions about his confidence and approach. He didn't believe he was wilting under the glare of the postseason. He had no idea he was in the middle of a scary stretch.
“I feel fine at the plate,” Ohtani said through translator Will Ireton. “I feel like I can remember a time when I felt good and incorporate that.”
Part of the concern stemmed from a strange discrepancy in his split. Ohtani has not recorded a hit in 22 at-bats with no one on base, but has recorded seven hits in nine at-bats with runners on base. The difference may not be that important to most sluggers, but Ohtani leads the Dodgers' lineup. He used his feet to steal 59 bases during the regular season. He didn't steal anything in October.
Ohtani insisted Tuesday that this brief hiatus will not change his intentions as a hitter. “No matter what they throw at me, my plan is to keep the same approach as much as possible and not focus too much on how they attack me,” he said.
Ohtani fulfilled that promise in Game 3. He grounded out Mets starting pitcher Luis Severino's first pitch, a 95 mph fastball. After the second inning, Severino couldn't find the zone and Ohtani chose to walk. In the sixth inning, after a two-run homer by Quique Hernandez, Ohtani fluttered as Mets reliever Reed Garrett's 0-2 cutter dove toward his cleats.
All of these at-bats took place with the bases empty. That was not the case with Ohtani's No. 4. He followed Will Smith's walk and Hernandez's two-out single. Mets relief pitcher Tyler Megill tried to sneak an inside strike on an 0-for-1 cutter. Otani sent the ball into the right field seats. The 43,883 fans packed into the stadium collectively held their breath. Statistics do not accurately represent home runs. 115.9 mph and an estimated distance of 397 feet from the bat. The ball hooked near the pole, close enough to warrant a replay review.
“I don't know how they're going to turn it around,” said third baseman Max Muncy, who reached base in his fifth at-bat and added a solo shot in the ninth inning. “The ball was 100 feet past the foul pole. The foul pole is not tall enough for that pole.”
This home run changed Robert's late calculations. He activated Treinen, one of his relief aces, in the seventh inning to face the bottom of the Mets lineup. With the Dodgers leading by four runs into the eighth inning, Hudson relaxed in the bullpen. If the score remains unchanged, Treinen will return to the eighth inning. If the Dodgers score one run, Hudson will pitch. Added 3 runs? This allowed Roberts to send in rookie Ben Kasparius for the final two innings. “The more points I score, the easier it gets,” Treinen said.
The bullpen is close to full strength heading into Game 4. The Dodgers are trying to get through this series without Mets hitters Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos and Pete Alonso getting looked at over and over again by the same relievers. So far, Roberts has been successful. “If you can hide people and keep them out, that's probably ideal,” Hudson said.
Ohtani left the stadium without saying anything to reporters. He didn't need to say much. “It was important for Shohei to build confidence,” Roberts said. His team maintains a high status. His swing silenced the ballpark and saved the bullpen. We also provided reminders. Even in this relative slump in hitting, Ohtani can still be awe-inspiring. Of course, that's not surprising.
(Top photo of Shohei Otani: Elsa/Getty Images)
