Ohtani denies that dual role affects his batting, Dodgers trust in his performance

In an unusual moment, Shohei Ohtani’s walk-up song, “Feeling Good” by Michael Bublé, echoed through Dodger Stadium. Following this, the Dodgers’ star player emerged from the dugout for a batting practice session on the field, receiving a sarcastic applause from his teammates.Ohtani demonstrated his power by hitting impressive home runs, one of which hit the roof beyond the right field stands.This batting practice, Ohtani’s first at Dodger Stadium since joining the team two years ago, could indicate the urgency of the moment.Although the Dodgers have advanced in the playoffs, Ohtani’s poor batting performance persists. In the series, he has a record of 2 hits in 25 at-bats, with 12 strikeouts.His simple single in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the National League Championship Series broke a streak of 15 hitless at-bats, the second-longest of his career.Before Wednesday’s workout, Ohtani denied that his role as a two-way player in the postseason had affected his performance at the plate.

I don’t necessarily think pitching has affected my performance as a hitter. As for pitching, as long as I control what I can control, I feel good about the results. As for hitting, the stance, the mechanics, that’s something I constantly work on.

Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani hit two home runs in the two wild card games against the Cincinnati Reds, but faced difficulties against the Philadelphia Phillies, especially against left-handed pitchers Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Ranger Suarez, going 0 for 13 with seven strikeouts.The Milwaukee Brewers have tried a similar strategy, using left-handed pitchers against him. In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, Ohtani received a walk against Aaron Ashby and then hit a ground ball against Jared Koenig. In Game 2, he hit a single against Ashby and struck out against Robert Gasser.Of Ohtani’s 40 plate appearances in these playoffs, 22 have been against left-handed pitchers, managing to get on base only three times.

I think it’s strategic of them to use a lot of left-handed pitchers against me. I really focus on having better quality at-bats. In that sense, I’m always working on that.

Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani opened Game 1 of the National League Division Series on the mound, pitching six innings and allowing three runs. He was scheduled to pitch Game 1 or 2 of the National League Championship Series, but was relegated to Game 4.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained that the decision was based on the alignment of Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to potentially pitch twice in the series, rather than helping Ohtani overcome his slump with the bat.Roberts described Ohtani’s at-bats in Milwaukee as “fantastic”, despite his poor performance. He highlighted strike zone control, aggressiveness, and scoring opportunities as positive aspects.