Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts analyzed his team’s loss to the New York Mets in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) during the MLB postseason. According to Roberts, one of the reasons behind the loss was the tough night for their star, Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and two walks in the game. His offensive performance has been questioned during this MLB postseason, particularly with runners on base.
Roberts noted that Shohei Ohtani looked uncomfortable facing Mets pitcher Eric Manaea. Manaea kept the ball away from Ohtani, exploiting his weakness against pitches in that location.
“I thought he didn’t look comfortable versus Manaea. The heater is away. You can see he was just kind of trying to keep the ball away from Shohei. That’s what they’re going to do. Shohei is very good with the ball close to him. So, they’re just going to stay away, hard away. If it’s spin, it’s going to be away. Just didn’t feel comfortable. And then after that I thought the righties that came in, they weren’t about to give into him. And at least he took his walks.” Roberts said. “Ohtani was not comfortable against Manaea” Roberts added.
Manager Dave Roberts after Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is thrown out at home plate in the fourth inning during Game Four of the Division Series. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Despite this, Roberts remains confident in Ohtani and intends to keep him in the top spot of the batting order. “Not really. I think that, as far as the offensive side, we’ve been pretty good. The guys at the bottom have done a nice job getting on base. As for moving him down, I just don’t want to be too reactive. I don’t see the benefit. We just need to make sure our guys are still swinging the bat well. And quite frankly, I want Shohei to get five at-bats a game. I think he’s our best hitter, and I want him up there five times,” said Roberts.
The Dodgers’ tactical approach in the NLCS
Roberts also addressed the issue of stolen bases, noting that the Dodgers haven’t been very aggressive in that regard in the first two NLCS games. However, the manager defended the team’s offensive strategy and highlighted the strong performance of the batters overall.
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