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Tonight, the Dodgers will once again have the opportunity to eliminate the Philadelphia Phillies. The defending champions won the first two games of the series, but missed the opportunity to advance to the Championship Series last night.
And when you look at what happened yesterday, you notice that Shohei Ohtani was blanked in five at-bats. Talk about a tough night for a player who generally has a tough series.
Against the Phillies, he had just one hit in 12 at-bats, including seven strikeouts on three pitches. And that's certainly not just because he's also pitching in the playoffs.
https://twitter.com/YahooSports/status/1976128018608247220
Clearly, then, Ohtani seems to have lost his bearings with the bat. And it's interesting that last night, after the game, Dave Roberts was asked about his superstar.
And instead of defending him, he criticized his batting decision-making.
https://twitter.com/ByJackHarris/status/1976154855216738482
In Roberts' eyes, Ohtani doesn't make good decisions about the pitches he chooses to hit. As a result, he's not putting himself in a position to hit pitches that are errors, and he's not doing any damage.
The Phillies have figured it out: if they find a way to throw low pitches in the zone, Ohtani rips some.
https://twitter.com/RobTornoe/status/1976369385863532710
This is the second year in a row that Ohtani has come out on top in the playoffs. Last year, despite his team's victory in the World Series, the Japanese had a very tough time of it, including a poor performance in the World Series (where he was injured).
He hasn't been naughty on the mound in his outings this year, but more is expected from a player who has hit 54 and 55 home runs in his last two years.
We'll see if Roberts' words can whip Ohtani out of his fall slump.
Because sooner or later, the Dodgers will need him at bat, not just on the mound.
- Tanner Scott is injured.
Tanner Scott had a lower body abscess procedure, Dave Roberts said. It was unexpected – he started showing signs during the workout day.
Roberts didn't rule out Scott's availability for the World Series, should they advance that far.
– Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) October 9, 2025
- Was Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s family bothered by Yankees fans?
A can was thrown at Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s family members during a verbal altercation with fans at Yankee Stadium last night https://t.co/L1Yo8BiYCN
– Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) October 9, 2025
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