Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts analyzed Shohei Ohtani’s hitting after the 2nd game loss to the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series on October 4 (local time).
The Dodgers lost 2-3 at home at Dodger Stadium, leaving the series at 1 win and 1 loss.
Although Ohtani had a hit and Roki Sasaki provided scoreless relief, the Dodgers could not produce the final run.
3-line summary
1. Manager Roberts analyzed Ohtani’s hitting
2. The Dodgers lost 2-3 to the Braves
3. Run production in a one-run game made the difference
A 2-3 game decided at Dodger Stadium
The Dodgers gave up a 2-3 decision in the 2nd game of the National League Division Series against the Braves at Dodger Stadium on October 4 local time. After defeating the Dodgers 5-3 in Game 1, the Dodgers sought consecutive home wins, but the series returned to 1 win and 1 loss.
There was also a comeback attempt late in the game. In the 8th inning, with the Dodgers trailing 1-3, Roki Sasaki entered and faced a bases-loaded threat with no outs after walking the leadoff batter and hitting the next batter with a pitch. After a bunt and an intentional walk made it 1 out with the bases loaded, he retired Ronald Acuña Jr. on a shortstop ground-ball double play without allowing a run.
Sasaki took the mound again in the 9th inning and retired all three batters. He effectively completed an appearance that began in a crisis with 2 scoreless innings. Because the bullpen prevented additional runs, the Dodgers were able to keep the one-run game going in their final offensive opportunity.
Why Ohtani’s reaching base did not lead to a run
Shohei Ohtani started as the 2nd-place designated hitter. In his second at-bat in the 4th inning, he hit a single to right field and successfully stole 2nd base. However, that time on base did not lead to a run, and the Dodgers’ lineup ultimately could not further attack the Braves’ pitching staff.
After the game, manager Roberts analyzed that Ohtani had often chased balls, which likely made it difficult for him to make good swings by properly hitting pitches outside the strike zone. This was the manager’s interpretation of the game. Manager Roberts said that, aside from Ohtani telling him that he felt physically well, he had heard nothing else from him.
Ohtani recorded a hit in this game as well, extending his hitting streak to 2 consecutive games. However, a batter reaching base and a team scoring a run were not the same thing. The Dodgers were left with Ohtani reaching base and Sasaki’s strong pitching, but they could not turn those into runs that would reverse the game’s result.
One batter still remained after Muncy’s 7-pitch home run
With 2 outs in the 9th inning, the Dodgers’ Max Muncy hit a solo home run after a 7-pitch battle, narrowing the gap to 2-3. The game ended as it stood when the final batter was retired on a foul fly. One home run created the comeback attempt, but the one run needed to tie the game never came.
Manager Roberts looked back on the game in the sense that he had evaluated the Braves as a team with considerable offensive power and knew it would be a close contest. Regarding the possibility of starting pitcher Blake Snell having groin pain, he explained that, considering the game as a whole, it was not so much that issue as that Snell was not in good condition that day. This was not an official injury diagnosis but the manager’s assessment at the time.
The clearest records from Game 2 were the 2-3 one-run loss and the series becoming 1 win and 1 loss. Ohtani’s hit, Sasaki’s scoreless relief appearance, and Muncy’s home run all occurred, but those moments did not come together as a victory in one game.
References
Tags #DaveRoberts #ManagerDaveRoberts #Dodgers #LADodgers #ShoheiOhtani #Ohtani #RokiSasaki #MaxMuncy #AtlantaBraves #DivisionSeries #MLBPostseason #DodgerStadium #DodgersGame