This year would be different.
This year it would be about winning a postseason series.
This year would be the year the best player in baseball would make sure of it.
Or not.
Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers are on the brink of elimination from the National League Division Series. He The San Diego Padres beat the Dodgers on Tuesday, 6-5so the Dodgers win two games in a row or lose in their first round for the third consecutive season.
Read more: Plaschke: It’s happening again. Dodgers on the verge of another ugly encore in October
Ten years ago, the best player in baseball led a Southern California team to the playoffs. He would be unanimously voted the most valuable player in his league.
he was mike troutand his Angels would be eliminated in the first round. In his postseason debut, Trout had one hit in three games (a home run) in 12 at-bats. He reached base four times.
Ohtani should be unanimously voted the most valuable player in his league.
However, in his postseason debut, Ohtani has three hits, including a home run, in 13 at-bats. He has reached base three times.
He has struck out six times, the most of anyone in the series and twice as many as any of the Padres. After stealing 59 bases in the regular season, Ohtani hasn’t stolen a base in the postseason.
Performance in summer does not guarantee anything in October. Consider Aaron Judge, the likely American League MVP. Judge is one of seven this October. In their previous postseason series, the 2022 American League Championship Series, they went 1 for 16.
Fair or not, expectations are higher when your team rewards you with a $700 million contract.
When Dodgers owner Mark Walter recruited Ohtani, Walter told him he considered the last decade a failure. Every year in the last decade included a postseason appearance, but only one year ended in a championship.
The underlying message for Ohtani: We want to change this, and we need you to do it.
The Padres have two opportunities to end the Dodgers’ season this week. If they do, the Dodgers would be no further ahead than they were last year, when the Angels employed Ohtani.
Read more: Dodgers can’t overcome disastrous inning in NLDS Game 3 loss to Padres
Apocalyptic feeling? Not to Ohtani.
“We just have to win two games in a row,” he said. “I really don’t have the feeling that there is no tomorrow. “We won two games and we are doing well.”
On Tuesday, Ohtani struck out twice, flied out and had a broken-bat single. Of his four at-bats, three came with the bases empty, so he had a slim chance of doing maximum damage.
“I think the moment certainly isn’t getting too big for him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think they’re making some good pitches. He obviously had a good Game 1 and held off a bit (since then), he still threw a punch tonight.
“So, yeah, I think he’s still in a good place. You will be ready to make a mistake. And I still feel good about having Shohei there tomorrow to do some good things.”
Freddie Freeman shook his head. He understands what fans might expect from Ohtani, but he also understands the reality of October.
“He’s had a good series so far,” Freeman said. “I know everyone wants us to hit .400. We faced one and two and great bullpens. “We’re giving him good at-bats.”
Padres bullpen significantly improved by general manager AJ Preller on the trade deadlinehas an earned return average of 1.69 in this series.
Left-hander Tanner Scott, the top reliever traded at the deadline, has faced Ohtani three times in this series, once in each game. Scott has struck out Ohtani all three times.
“Of course, he’s a wonderful pitcher,” Ohtani said. “I think the important thing on this side is having a solid focus and being in the batter’s box in good condition.”
In his at-bat against Scott on Tuesday, which accounted for the tying run, Ohtani took a slider for a called third strike.
“It was a good shot and it would have been nice to at least foul it,” Ohtani said. “But the fastball used to be hittable, so it would have been nice if I had hit it.”
Of course, this isn’t all about Ohtani. The Dodgers are hitting .216 in the series. Their starting pitchers have a 6.46 earned run average.
But Ohtani led the National League in on-base percentage this season. However, of the nine regulars in the Dodgers lineup, the only one with a lower on-base percentage than Ohtani is Max Muncy.
Whether you prefer to call Ohtani the leadoff hitter or the $700 million man, that just doesn’t cut it.
Read more: Shaikin: How ‘Beat LA’ took root in the lexicon of the Dodgers-Padres rivalry
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the beginning of each series.
This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.
