For the fourth time in his career, MLB Network named Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers DH/SP, as the No. 1 player in baseball right now
The accolades never seem to end for Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers DH/SP.
MLB Network named Ohtani, a four-time MVP, as the best player in baseball for the fourth time in his career. Ohtani was the No. 1 player heading in 2022 and 2023, before losing to Atlanta Braves OF Ronald Acuna Jr. in 2024, but then reclaimed it in 2025 and now 2026.
Ohtani has been with the Dodgers since he signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the club on Dec. 11, 2023, where he has won back-to-back World Series with Los Angeles.
Across 158 games in 2025, Ohtani slashed .278/.392/.622 with a league-leading 1.014 OPS and 179 OPS+, 55 home runs, 102 RBIs, and a 7.5 fWAR at designated hitter. On the mound, Ohtani pitched 47.0 innings across 14 starts, with a 1-1 record, 2.87 ERA, an 11.87 K/9 and 1.72 BB/9. These numbers earned Ohtani his second consecutive National League MVP award.
During the Dodgers playoff run, Shohei won NLCS MVP for his performance against the Milwaukee Brewers, capped off with a three home run game at the plate and 6.0 IP, zero runs, two hits, three walks and 10 strikeouts on the mound in game four to complete the sweep. In the World Series, Ohtani slashed .333/.500/.778 with a 1.278 OPS, three home runs and nine RBIs as the Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games
Remember when Shohei Ohtani hit 3 home runs and struck out 10 to punch the Dodgers’ ticket to the 2025 World Series? 🦄 pic.twitter.com/C7zVLhNTu6
Before the 2025 season, Ohtani had been off the pitching mound since August 2023 because Ohtani tore his UCL on Aug. 23, 2023 and got Tommy John surgery the following month, according to Yahoo Sports. This kept him off the mound for all of 2024 and for almost half of 2025.
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Despite not being able to pitch, Ohtani still produced at the plate in 2024, as he won his third MVP that year and became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season, creating the “50-50 club,” according to Sporting News.
Ohtani made his pitching debut with the Dodgers on June 16 against the division rival San Diego Padres, where he pitched one inning. Since he was returning Ohtani from a major injury, Ohtani had to be built back up through the season, which is why he pitched just 47 innings. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said he expects to regularly use Ohtani as a starter, but it’s not going to be a regular five-man rotation.
“I don’t want to go down the six-man rotation road, but I do feel that giving him six, seven, eight days off to kind of allow him to continue to stay rested and build up, I think that’s in our process,” Roberts said during the 2025 Winter Meetings. “But again we have a long way to go, but we’ve got some viable candidates.”
Other Dodgers on the top 100 right now were: RHP Edwin Diaz at No. 83, LHP Blake Snell at No. 54, 1B Freddie Freeman at No. 22, OF Kyle Tucker at No. 21, C Will Smith at No. 20, SS Mookie Betts at No. 18 and RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto at No. 13.
Dodgers pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training on Feb. 13, and opening day is March 26, but fans can watch Ohtani sooner than that as he will play for Team Japan during the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Team Japan’s first game is on March 6 against Team Chinese Taipei.
(CNN) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed a contract ahead of the 2024 season worth $325 million over 12 years.
He had never thrown a pitch in Major League Baseball. But the Los Angeles Dodgers had enough money to take that kind of risk, making the bet that such an insane amount of money will eventually be worth it.
The Los Angeles Dodgers began play on Friday with their backs against the wall, facing a roaring Rogers Centre crowd as the Toronto Blue Jays were one win away from their first title in 32 years. They had just lost two straight games at home in Chavez Ravine and it seemed like time was about to run out on their dynasty claim.
Enter Yamamoto.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning in Game 7. Credit: Patrick Smith / Getty Images via CNN Newsource
He shutdown the Blue Jays again on Friday, going six innings and allowing five hits and just one run while striking out six. It was his second victory of the series.
But that achievement paled in comparison to what he did in Game 7.
Pitching on roughly 24 hours of rest, Yamamoto entered the game in the most intense of situations. The Blue Jays had two men on base, needing just one run to win the championship. On his second pitch, he hit Alejandro Kirk and loaded the bases. There was no room for error.
He forced a ground ball to Miguel Rojas, the man who tied the game with a home run in the top of the ninth, who fired home and got Isiah Kiner-Falefa by an inch. Facing Ernie Clement, who tied the postseason record for most hits in a single playoffs, he forced a popout and ended the threat.
In the 10th, he put the Blue Jays down in order. In the 11th, he allowed a double to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a walk to Addison Barger, putting runners on first and third with one out. With one last nasty splitter, he shattered Alejandro Kirk’s bat and forced a game ending double play.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto celebrates with teammate Will Smith after the team defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7. Credit: Chris Young/The Canadian Press / AP via CNN Newsource
It was his third win of the World Series. It was baseball heroics. It might change the course of his career – starting pitchers are not meant to pitch on such little rest in such high-leverage situations. But it was the stuff legends are made of and no Dodgers fan will ever forget it.
“He was the MVP of this series. That was incredible,” catcher Will Smith said. “I talked to him yesterday and was like ‘Hey, if you can give one, we can win.’ He gave us three. That was special. He will have a few months off, I know he’s going to need it. I’m just happy for him.”
His manager, Dave Roberts, put it more succinctly.
“Yamamoto’s the GOAT!” he yelled repeatedly on the Fox broadcast, using the abbreviation for Greatest of All Time.
That might be a stretch to say at this point in the Japanese star’s career, but it’s undisputed that his World Series will go down as one of the greatest in baseball history. Winning three games in a single World Series hasn’t been done since Randy Johnson did it in 2001. And he almost got in a fourth game – he was warming up in the 18th inning of Game 3 when Freddie Freeman went deep to give the Dodgers the win, just two days after he pitched a complete game.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto raises his World Series MVP trophy. Credit: Ashley Landis / AP via CNN Newsource
He’s now in the same conversation as pitchers such as Bob Gibson, Christy Mathewson and Mickey Lolich. It’s telling that only six pitchers have accomplished the feat since World War II.
The kind of toughness and grit that it takes to do what Yamamoto did on Saturday – and early Sunday – can’t be overstated.
Starting pitchers are creatures of habit. They start their game and then spend the next four days recovering, resting and following a dedicated routine that gets them ready to pitch on the fifth day. They repeat that cycle through the season, over and over from March until October.
And when they pitch, it’s a more strategic task than what relievers often go through. Starting pitchers have to face the same batters two or three times, forming a game plan to keep hitters guessing and then executing it. Reliever often come into a game aiming to overpower hitters with their stuff, either velocity or wicked movement, and use full effort on most pitches.
Starters don’t always make good relievers, but somehow when the games get to be the most important, managers always put their top guys on the mound whether they want to be there or not.
Yamamoto most certainly wanted the ball.
“I was not sure if I could pitch tonight until I went to the bullpen, but I’m glad I was able to,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter when asked about his superhuman effort pitching on back-to-back nights.
He went two-and-two-thirds innings, allowing one hit and striking out one batter. He lowered his ERA for the postseason to a paltry 1.45 and held opposing hitters to a .143 batting average in five starts and one relief appearance.
For all the ink spilled about his teammate Shohei Ohtani’s two-way prowess and the two incredible games that he had in the NLCS and Game 3 of the World Series, Yamamoto’s performance is arguably more connected to baseball’s glorious past.
A complete game victory in Game 2, followed by volunteering for relief duty two days later. Then another six-inning performance, followed by two-plus innings of clutch relief pitching less than a day later.
It’s the kind of stuff October legends are made of.
Yamamoto, as is his wont, approached that rarefied air with humility.
“I did everything I was supposed to do, and I’m so happy that I was able to win this with these teammates,” Yamamoto said through his interpreter.
They carried it every day from February all the way into November. They were supposed to do this. They were supposed to win. They were supposed to be the first team to repeat as champions since the New York Yankees in 1998-2000. They were supposed to live up to the hyperbolic evaluations that pegged theirs as the most talented roster in baseball history.
It took a game-tying home run in the ninth inning (the first in World Series history) by Miguel Rojas, a game-winning home run by Will Smith in the 11th and 2⅔ innings of relief from Game 6 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Bulldog Mode fully engaged) to make all that come true with a 5-4 victory in Game 7 of the World Series.
“You dream of those moments, you know, extra innings, put your team ahead – I’ll remember that forever,” Smith said.
It was a memorable World Series featuring two extra-inning games, shocking momentum shifts and game-saving defensive plays. But the Dodgers didn’t always look like the better team in the matchup. The Blue Jays played better defense overall, took better at-bats consistently and were better in the clutch over the seven games – except when it mattered most.
The Dodgers absorbed all that – just as they absorbed the injuries and inconsistencies of a long season to get here – and emerged as champions.
Like almost everything about this season, it didn’t go as planned. The Dodgers even found the limits of what Shohei Ohtani can do.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the decision to start Ohtani on short rest in Game 7 – a part of the Dodgers’ pre-Series discussions – was finalized after Game 6 on Friday night after a short conversation with Ohtani.
“Shohei, we don’t have long conversations,” Roberts said with a smile before Game 7.
It was only the second time in his career Ohtani had started on short rest. He followed a two-inning, rain-shortened start with seven scoreless innings three days later in April 2023 for the Angels.
The circumstances were far different Saturday night and Ohtani seemed off from the start.
He struggled with his command. Only half of his first 30 pitches were strikes. The Blue Jays put the first batter on base in each of the first three innings, putting stress on Ohtani.
He escaped the first two but gave up a three-run home run to Bo Bichette in the third inning.
Whatever master pitching plan the Dodgers had come up with to cover nine innings, it did not include Ohtani giving up a 110.1 mph laser that traveled 442 feet to straightaway center field for a three-run home run that put their stagnant offense in the trail position.
The Dodgers did answer back with a run in the fourth inning against Jays starter Max Scherzer but stranded two runners after back-to-back outstanding defensive plays by the Blue Jays – diving catches by Daulton Varsho in center field and Guerrero down the first base line.
Both benches – and bullpens – emptied in the fourth inning after Justin Wrobleski hit Gimenez with a pitch, adding some menace to the drama.
The Dodgers crawled within a run in the sixth inning and again on Max Muncy’s solo home run in the eighth.
Rojas finally got the Dodgers even with one out in the ninth inning when he worked the count full against Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman then lined a hanging slider over the wall in left field. It was only the second extra-base hit in 21 postseason games for Rojas, the first since another home run for the Miami Marlins in their 2020 National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves.
They escaped a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the ninth, wasted their own in the top of the 10th and finally took their first lead of the night on Smith’s home run with two outs in the 11th.
Yamamoto, who threw 96 pitches in the Dodgers’ Game 6 win on Friday, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and threw 43 pitches to close the win. He gave up a leadoff double in the 11th to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was sacrificed to third. Addison Barger walked and Alejandro Kirk hit a broken-bat grounder to shortstop Mookie Betts, who started a title-winning 6-4-3 double play that ended baseball’s 150th major league season, the first that began and ended outside the United States.
“Yamamoto is the GOAT!” Roberts shouted moments before the Dodgers hoisted the World Series trophy.
The Dodgers used all four of their postseason starting pitchers in the finale.
“We’ve got a special group of guys, man,” Smith said. “We just never gave up. … Oh man, that was a fight, for seven games.”
Including a victory in Game 2 of last year’s World Series against the New York Yankees, Yamamoto is 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA in four Fall Classic appearances.
With their ninth championship and third in six years, the Dodgers made an argument for their 2020s teams to be considered a dynasty. Roberts, their manager since 2016, boosted the probability he will gain induction to the Hall of Fame.
The epic night matched the then-Florida Marlins’ 3-2 victory over Cleveland in 1997 as the second-longest Series Game 7, behind only the Washington Senators’ 4-3 victory against the New York Giants in 1924.
A quarter-century after the last repeat champion, Los Angeles reclaims its throne atop Major League Baseball
For the first time in 25 years, Major League Baseball has a repeat champion—and, fittingly, it’s the team that’s come to define both excellence and expectation. The Los Angeles Dodgers capped off another unforgettable postseason run with a thrilling Game 7 win in Toronto, cementing their place in baseball history and reigniting a dynasty that had long felt inevitable.
Los Angeles had done it again, becoming the first team since the late-1990s Yankees to win back-to-back World Series titles. For a franchise built on the weight of tradition, heartbreak, and redemption, this was more than a victory; it was validation.
Throughout the 2025 season, the Dodgers carried the burden of expectation that comes with a $300 million payroll and a star-studded roster headlined by Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. But unlike superteams of the past, this squad never felt top-heavy. Manager Dave Roberts, once again vindicated after years of second-guessing, crafted a chemistry that transcended the stat sheet.
Ohtani’s two-way brilliance set the tone all year, from his early-season dominance on the mound to his clutch home runs in October. Betts and Freeman provided the steady leadership that defined the clubhouse, while a new generation, players like Alex Call, Andy Pages, and Tommy Edman, proved the Dodgers’ player-development machine remains the envy of baseball.
It’s hard to overstate what back-to-back championships mean in today’s game. In an era of parity, short-term contracts, and constant roster churn, consistency of this magnitude feels nearly impossible. Yet the Dodgers, under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, have made sustained excellence look routine.
Since 2017, the team has reached the postseason every year, capturing four pennants and now three titles. But this one, the repeat, carries special significance. After years of near-misses and internet think pieces questioning whether L.A. could “win the big one” without a shortened-season asterisk attached, this championship silences any remaining skeptics.
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Talk of a dynasty is no longer premature. Ohtani is signed through the decade, Betts and Freeman are locked in, and a wave of young talent continues to surge through the farm system. Roberts, once a lightning rod for criticism, now joins the ranks of iconic Dodger managers whose names will forever echo through Chavez Ravine.
As the champagne dries and the parade route snakes down Figueroa, one thing is clear: this isn’t just another championship, it’s the solidification of an era. For the first time since Torre’s Yankees of the late ’90s, baseball has a repeat champion. And for Los Angeles, the city that never stops chasing its next headline, the story couldn’t be sweeter.
Because in the end, this isn’t just the Dodgers’ year, it’s their dynasty.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Max Muncy was inches away from hitting a grand slam for the Los Angeles Dodgers to open the scoring in the National League Championship Series.
Little did he know his 404-foot drive instead would end the top of the fourth inning Monday night in one of the most incredible plays of this or any postseason.
Here’s how Muncy’s potential grand slam turned into an unusual 8-6-2 double play:
With the bases loaded and one out, Muncy hit a long drive to center field, where Sal Frelick jumped and reached over the wall in an attempt to make the catch.
The ball popped out of Frelick’s glove and hit the top of the fence before Frelick caught it in the air. Muncy wasn’t ruled out because the ball hit the wall — but the Dodgers’ runners scrambled back to their bases thinking the ball was caught on a fly.
“I didn’t see it hit the wall,” said Will Smith, who was on second base. “I just thought he kind of brought it back in and caught it.”
Frelick fired to shortstop Joey Ortiz, who quickly relayed a strike to catcher William Contreras. Aware a force was still in effect, Contreras alertly stretched for the throw with his right foot on home plate, rather than position himself for a tag that would have been necessary if the ball hadn’t hit the wall.
Contreras caught the ball before Teoscar Hernández slid across the plate, forcing out Hernández after he had hesitated at third base.
“Teo knows the rule. I think right there he had just a little bit of a brain fart, appreciating that when it does hit the glove, you can tag (up) there,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But then he tagged, did it correctly, then saw he didn’t catch it, (and) he went back. That was the mistake. But he owned it. And after that, there’s nothing else you can do about it.”
After the forceout at home plate, Contreras smartly got up and jogged to third to force out Smith, too.
Smith had gone back to second when he thought Frelick made a clean catch.
“From home plate, I had a pretty good view of it,” Contreras said through an interpreter. “I could tell pretty much right away it hit off the wall. Right away once it hits off the wall, you know that ball is played live. Tremendous job by the guys there just doing what we needed to do to finish that play off.”
As all of it was developing, Frelick had his arms out with a quizzical look on his face, wondering what exactly had just happened — not unlike many fans.
The Dodgers challenged the call, but a replay review confirmed the forceouts at home and third for a most unusual inning-ending 8-6-2 double play.
Umpires called it correctly in real time all the way through the play.
“Honestly, I didn’t know they ruled it a no-catch,” Roberts said. “I just wanted clarity on the whole situation. And then kind of making sure that they got a couple of forceouts, which they did. And ultimately, those guys and replay, the guys on the field got it right. They nailed it.”
At 404 feet, it was the second-longest projected distance on a batted ball resulting in a double play since Statcast tracking began in 2015 — regular-season games included. For Muncy, it goes down as a grounded-into-double play, even though the ball didn’t touch the ground.
There had not been an 8-6-2 double play in the postseason over the last 35 years, the Elias Sports Bureau said. Those type of official scoring details are not always clear in records going back any further.
The most recent 8-6-2 double play in the regular season involved a ball hit by Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa to Cincinnati center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. in April 2004 — though that one ended with a tag at the plate.
These two offenses are very similar – first and third in the National League in batting average, second and third in on-base percentage, first and third in slugging percentage, first and second in OPS. Both have a power trio at the top of their lineup – Trea Turner, NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber and former MVP Bryce Harper for Philly, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman for the Dodgers – and a dangerous supporting cast.
“Baseball is a timing game. Does the long layoff ruin that?” pitcher Clayton Kershaw said in 2023 after the Dodgers’ offense was a no-show in back-to-back first-round playoff defeats following the bye break.
“Look, it’s hard. I mean, pitching maybe not so much, but obviously offensively these guys are so used to playing every day. So I get it. Extra teams and more money, all that stuff (led to the bye format). I get it. But I do think that – I’m not a hitter, but it does seem like it’s a bit of a challenge for guys.”
Adding to the challenge for the Phillies, Turner missed three weeks in September with a hamstring injury and returned only for the regular-season finale. The Dodgers will still have to match the Phillies’ firepower. Another similarity between the two teams – both are particularly potent at their home ballparks. That could be decisive for the Phillies, who have home-field advantage in the best-of-five series. EDGE: PHILLIES
STARTING PITCHERS
PHILLIES: LH Cristopher Sanchez (13-5, 2.50 ERA, 202 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 9.4 Ks per 9 IP), LH Jesus Luzardo (15-7, 3.92 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 10.6 Ks per 9 IP), LH Ranger Suarez (12-8, 3.20, 1.22 WHIP, 8.6 Ks per 9 IP), RH Aaron Nola (5-10, 6.01 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 9.3 Ks per 9 IP)
The Dodgers faced the Phillies’ top three (healthy) starters – Cy Young Award candidate Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Ranger Suarez – during their series at Dodger Stadium just a little over two weeks ago. They got to them for 11 runs in 20 innings. The fact that all three are left-handed would seem to be an advantage for the Phillies, nullifying three of the Dodgers’ key hitters – Ohtani, Freeman and Max Muncy. But Ohtani and Freeman aren’t your typical left-handed hitters. Their splits are fairly even and the Dodgers actually had the best slugging percentage and OPS and second-best batting average against left-handed pitching in the NL this year. The late-season rebirths of Betts and Teoscar Hernandez have been a big part of that.
Ohtani and Blake Snell also pitched during that September series against the Phillies. Neither gave up a run. Ohtani didn’t give up a hit in his five-inning start. The Dodgers will ask all of their starters to go deep in games in order to minimize the Phillies’ play time against their bullpen. EDGE: DODGERS
PROJECTED BULLPEN
PHILLIES: RH Jhoan Duran (7-6, 2.06, 32 saves, 5 blown saves, 1.10 WHIP, 10.3 Ks per 9 IP with Twins and Phillies), RH David Robertson (2-0, 4.08 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 11.2 Ks per 9 IP), LH Tanner Banks (6-2, 1 save, 3.07 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 8.2 Ks per 9 IP), RH Orion Kierkering (8-4, 4 saves, 3.30 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 9.8 Ks per 9 IP), RH Walker Buehler (10-7, 4.93 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 6.6 Ks per 9 IP), LH Matt Strahm (2-3, 6 saves, 2.74 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 10.1 Ks per 9 IP), RH Jordan Romano (2-4, 8 saves, 8.23 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 9.9 Ks per 9 IP), LH Tim Mayza (0-0, 3.78 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 8.1 Ks per 9 IP), RH Taijuan Walker (5-8, 1 save, 4.08 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 6.3 Ks per 9 IP)
DODGERS: LH Tanner Scott (1-4, 23 saves, 10 blown saves, 4.74 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 9.5 Ks per 9 IP), RH Blake Treinen (2-7, 2 saves, 5.40 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 12.2 Ks per 9 IP), LH Alex Vesia (4-2, 5 saves, 3.02 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 12.1 Ks per 9 IP), LH Jack Dreyer (3-2, 4 saves, 2.95 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 8.7 Ks per 9 IP), RH Roki Sasaki (1-1, 4.46 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 6.9 Ks per 9 IP in 10 appearances, 8 starts), RH Emmet Sheehan (6-3, 2.82 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 10.9 Ks per 9 IP in 15 appearances, 12 starts), LH Anthony Banda (5-1, 3.18 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 8.4 Ks per 9 IP), LH Clayton Kershaw (11-2, 3.36 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 6.7 Ks per 9 IP), RH Edgardo Henriquez (2-1, 1 save, 2.37 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 8.5 Ks per 9 IP)
The Phillies’ bullpen hasn’t been great this season either. Unlike Andrew Friedman, though, Dave Dombrowski pulled the trigger on a big move at the trade deadline, acquiring a new closer in Jhoan Duran. Duran has been good but not impregnable (16 saves, three blown saves) and the setup crew in front of him is unimpressive. Displaced starters like Taijuan Walker, Aaron Nola and former Dodger Walker Buehler (released by the Boston Red Sox in August) could play roles. EDGE: EVEN
BENCH
PHILLIES: IF Edmundo Sosa (.276/.307/.469, 11 HRs, 39 RBIs), OF Max Kepler (.216/.300/.391, 18 HRs, 52 RBIs), C Rafael Marchan, .210/.282/.305, 2 HRs, 13 RBIs), IF Otto Kemp (.234/.298/.411, 8 HRs, 28 RBIs), IF-OF Weston Wilson (.198/.282/.369, 5 HRs, 17 RBIs)
DODGERS: C Will Smith (.296/.404/.497, 17 HRs, 61 RBIs), OF Michael Conforto (.199/.305/.333, 12 HRs, 36 RBIs), IF Hyeseong Kim (.280/.314/.385, 3 HRs, 17 RBIs, 13 SBs), C Dalton Rushing (.204/.258/.324, 4 HRs, 24 RBIs), OF Alex Call (.267/.361/.385, 5 HRs, 31 RBIs with Dodgers and Nationals)
The Dodgers carried three catchers for the Wild Card Series when Will Smith showed he had recovered enough from his hand injury to at least pinch-hit. They didn’t use Smith against the Reds, giving him a few more days to get his hand back to full strength for this series. Look for him to get back in the starting lineup at some point early in the NLDS, particularly with an extra off day between Games 1 and 2.
The Phillies, meanwhile, will platoon some with their outfield, using the left-handed Max Kepler instead of the right-handed Nick Castellanos. Both are power threats (though Castellanos had a down year). EDGE: DODGERS
DODGERS: Dave Roberts, 10th season, 944-576, .621, 10th postseason 58-44, .569 (4 pennants, 2 World Series titles)
Relievers have been dropping from Dave Roberts’ “trust tree” like fall leaves. He showed you what he thinks of that group when he pulled Alex Vesia and Edgardo Henriquez each after the minimum three batters in the eighth inning of Game 1 against the Reds then yanked a shaky Emmet Sheehan in the middle of an at-bat in Game 2. October is no time to be patient and Roberts will have to continue that aggressive managing to avoid his bullpen sabotaging the Dodgers’ postseason.
Thomson made his mark in 2022 when he took over a 22-29 team from fired manager Joe Girardi and led them to a 65-46 record as interim manager. That Phillies team got to the World Series (and lost to the Houston Astros), securing the full-time job for Thomson, who has led them to four consecutive playoff spots and back-to-back NL East titles. EDGE: DODGERS
SERIES PREDICTION
A year ago, the Dodgers faced the Padres in the NLDS and Roberts later said “that was the World Series” for the Dodgers. The Padres were the best team the Dodgers faced during their run to a World Series championship. The same thing might be true of this Phillies team if the Dodgers can get past them. The two teams are very similar offensively, have strong starting pitching and bullpens that are their weakest groups. The Dodgers haven’t played particularly well at Citizens Bank Park recently – they have lost seven of their nine games there over the past three seasons. Underperforming for two months in midseason – they were 22-32 from July 4 into early September – cost them a shot at one of the top two seeds in the NL and home-field advantage. The Phillies had the best home record in baseball this season (55-26). That could be the decisive factor in this close-call matchup. PHILLIES IN FIVE
SAN DIEGO — In the middle of last September, the Dodgers lost two games to open a series in Atlanta (part of a 3-6 slide) and Manager Dave Roberts sensed the team was feeling sorry for itself as injuries mounted.
Deep in a seven-week malaise that has seen them blow a nine-game lead in the division with an offense, in particular, underperforming, Roberts said he hasn’t resorted to the same tactic.
“I’ve talked to some hitters,” Roberts said before Sunday’s 8-2 victory over the San Diego Padres. “But I just don’t feel that, when you’re talking specifically to hitting, it doesn’t involve the pitchers, and that’s half your team. So I’m not about wasting peoples’ time as they’re getting ready for a ballgame.”
Absolving the pitching staff of culpability in the Dodgers’ fall from the top is understandable. But the Dodgers have not been able to count on any consistent production from their offense. On the seven-game road trip to Colorado and San Diego this week, the Dodgers scored 28 runs in their three wins but just eight in their four losses.
“Baseball – hitting goes in cycles,” Roberts said. “We haven’t really been in sync. It’s been disjointed a lot, as far as the offense, for the entire part of the year. So playing well at the right time is crucial. And that speaks to the offense as well. But I do think we’re gonna get things together and pieced together.
“I’ve said it for a while, I think our best offensive baseball is still ahead of us. So it’s gonna happen.”
To make it happen, Roberts said he just wants them to get back to “competing and playing to win a ballgame and taking good at-bats. That will kind of lend itself to the performance.”
After Saturday’s loss, Roberts bemoaned the lack of adjustments being made by Dodger hitters who seemed unwilling to change their swing for the moment. But don’t tell Roberts his players need to make drastic changes in their approach.
“I couldn’t disagree more, in the sense of what my belief is in this offensive team,” he said. “Certainly in the last two months, we haven’t performed close to expectations. I just feel we have the ability, the talent, as is it, to grind pitchers; to take some pressure off the starter, the ’pen.
The fan had been trash-talking the Dodgers all game, Ohtani in particular. Ohtani was hitless in 10 at-bats in the series before his home run, giving the plan plenty of fuel.
“Very annoying as he’s in my right ear the entire game,” Roberts said. “It was out of character from Shohei. He was wearing him out the whole game. So it was good to see Shohei initiate a high-five from him. That was great. That was fun. It was good for Shohei to show his personality.”
REHAB ROUNDUP
Utility men Hyeseong Kim and Kiké Hernandez continued their rehab assignments with Triple-A Oklahoma City over the weekend.
Kim went 1 for 5 as the DH on Saturday and 1 for 5 again while playing center field on Sunday. He is 4 for 16 in four games with OKC. Hernandez was 0 for 3 with a walk and played third base on Saturday, then went 1 for 2 with a double and a walk while playing left field on Sunday. He is 5 for 14 in five games and is on track to be activated from the injured list during the series against the Cincinnati Reds, which begins Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
Third baseman Max Muncy has progressed well enough in his recovery from a mild oblique strain to face live pitching at some point early this week. He could go on a rehab assignment soon after that.
DENVER (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani had a forgettable outing in his first career pitching start against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
Ohtani left Wednesday’s game after giving up five earned runs and nine hits in four innings and getting hit in the leg by a comeback line drive.
With runners at second and third and one out in the fourth inning, Ohtani got hit by a 93-mph line drive off the bat of Colorado’s Orlando Arcia on his right leg that caused him to limp and grimace in pain. The liner struck the reigning National League MVP and ricocheted toward the first base line. Ohtani gave chase and grabbed the ball on the line, spun to make a throw, but had no play as a runner scored.
After a mound visit from manager Dave Roberts and team medical personnel, Ohtani stayed in the game and got the last two outs of the inning, with the Dodgers trailing 5-0 at the time. The Dodgers lost to Colorado 8-3.
Roberts said after the game that the line drive hit Ohtani on the thigh and managed to avoid his knee and any on-bone contact.
“I was just really relieved that it was the thigh, because it hit him flush,” Roberts said. “If you’re talking about the kneecap, that’s a different conversation. When I saw the ball mark on his thigh, I was very relieved, relative to the situation.”
Through a translator, Ohtani said he had recently been hit in the same spot on his leg by a pitch.
“I’m glad it didn’t hit the knee,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I think we avoided the worst-case scenario. So, I’m going to focus on the treatment.”
Ohtani was making his 10th start of the season after not pitching in the 2024 season while recovering from elbow surgery. The earned runs that he allowed matched the most he had permitted since July 2022, and the nine hits allowed matched a career high.
“I put the team in a bad spot,” Ohtani said. “It was just a very regrettable outing. I wish I could have done better.”
Even after getting hit by the line drive, Ohtani stayed in the game and drew a walk in his at-bat in the fifth inning. But, he did not bat in the eighth and was replaced by Alex Call, who struck out. Ohtani finished with a double and a walk and extended his on-base streak to 18 games.
Roberts said he’s “confident” Ohtani will play Friday against the San Diego Padres. Even before the injury, Ohtani was scheduled to sit out Thursday’s series finale against the Rockies.
He entered Wednesday without a decision and a 3.47 ERA. This season, he hasn’t thrown more than 4 ⅓ innings or 80 pitches. Against the MLB-worst Rockies, he threw 66 pitches, 49 for strikes.
Ohtani is batting .284 with 44 homers, one behind NL-leading Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, with 83 RBIs.
(CNN) — Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman tied a World Series record after homering in his fifth consecutive Fall Classic game Monday night as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 4-2in Game 3.
The Dodgers are now just one win away from the franchise’s eighth World Series championship.
Freeman connected on a two-run homer off Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt in the first inning at Yankee Stadium to give the Dodgers an early 2-0 lead. The 35-year-old joins Houston Astros outfielder George Springer as the only players to accomplish the feat.
Freeman hit a home run in Games 5 and 6 as a member of the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves against the Astros.
After the game, Freeman downplayed the accomplishment.
“When it’s all said and done, I can look at that. But the most important thing is one more win. That’s all I care about right now,” he said. “I don’t care how it happens. I just want to get one more win.”
Freeman is one of three players to homer in the first three games of the World Series following Barry Bonds for the San Francisco Giants in 2002 and Hank Bauer for the Yankees in 1958.
Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler baffled the Yankees’ hitters. Buehler struck out five acrossfive scoreless innings while giving up two hits to pick up the victory.
“I think the playoffs or big games has always been the only thing I really cared about,” said Buehler, who returned midseason after missing almost two full years following elbow surgery.
”I was kind of awful all year, and I think that once you get to the playoffs – the adrenaline, the momentum – I think whatever fear I had about my elbow or trying to throw a certain pitch or whatever goes away because it’s all now. It’s all go.”
Schmidt gave up three runs on two hits while walking four in 2.2 innings and took the loss.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani started following a shoulder injury scare in Game 2. During players’ introductions, it appeared that the Japanese superstar was wearing a sling as he ran onto the field. He batted in his usual spot at the top of the order.
Ohtani went hitless on the night, but reached base twice on a walk and a hit by pitch. He scored on Freeman’s home run. He appeared to wince in pain during multiple swings and held onto his jersey while on the base paths in an apparent attempt to limit how much his shoulder was moving.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani wasn’t feeling his best during an in-game interview in the fourth inning, but acknowledged the slugger being in the batter’s box was a presence for the team.
After the game, Roberts was appreciative of Ohtani’s effort.
“I thought he did a really nice job of competing. I don’t think that it got any worse,” Roberts said. “Obviously just him in the batter’s box starting the game off, getting on base by way of walk. I just really appreciate him posting tonight.”
There was a bit of late drama and a spark of hope for the Yankees when left fielder Alex Verdugo launched a two-run home run to bring the New Yorkers within two. But second basemen Gleyber Torres grounded out to shortstop to end the game during the next at-bat.
Los Angeles takes a commanding three games to none lead in the best-of-seven series into Tuesday night’s Game 4 in New York.
The Dodgers will be seeking the first World Series sweep since 2012.
“We’re trying to get a game tomorrow,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the defeat. “That’s where our focus lies. So hopefully we can go be this amazing story and shock the world.
“But right now it’s about trying to get a lead, trying to grab a game and force another one and then on from there. But we got to grab one first.”
Nick Castellanos and the Philadelphia Phillies can put the defending World Series champion Braves on the brink of elimination. Same for the Dodgers against the rival Padres.
Meanwhile, the Mariners and Guardians get a day to shake off tough losses to the Astros and Yankees, respectively.
The best-of-five National League Division Series pitting Phillies vs. Braves and Padres vs. Dodgers are set for their second games Wednesday, while the American League clubs get a day off.
Castellanos carried a big load with his bat in a 7-6 Game 1 victory Tuesday over Atlanta. But despite driving in three runs, his glovework was what really had people talking.
Frequently maligned as part of a subpar defensive outfield, Castellanos sprawled out for a potentially game-saving catch in the ninth inning, snuffing out Atlanta’s rally from a six-run deficit.
The grab helped lock up the Phillies’ third straight win to open this postseason — an unexpected run months after they fired manager Joe Girardi and replaced him with Rob Thomson.
Here’s what else to know about the MLB playoffs today:
TODAY’S SCHEDULE (All times ET)
NLDS Game 2: Philadelphia at Atlanta, 4:35 p.m., FOX
NLDS Game 2: San Diego at Los Angeles, 8:37 p.m., FS1
BRAVE NEW OCTOBER
Dansby Swanson and the Braves haven’t rediscovered last year’s World Series magic. They’re hoping it’ll show against Game 2 Phillies starter Zack Wheeler.
Atlanta didn’t look like a defending champion Tuesday. The Braves stranded nine runners in their Game 1 loss, an aggravating day that had the usually cool-headed Swanson slamming his bat and helmet to the ground midgame.
They showed signs of life late, when Matt Olson’s three-run homer cut the deficit to one in the ninth inning. They’ll ask Game 2 starter Kyle Wright to carry over that momentum — something he did well while leading the majors with 21 wins this season.
CLOSED OUT
The Dodgers can take a 2-0 series lead over San Diego with a win Wednesday. They’ll send three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw to the mound against Padres ace Yu Darvish.
If Kershaw and the Dodgers win a second World Series in three years, it may be without eight-time All-Star Craig Kimbrel in the bullpen. And that’s by choice.
Kimbrel was left off Los Angeles’ NLDS roster, a decision manager Dave Roberts made two weeks after demoting Kimbrel out of the closer’s role.
Kimbrel was 6-7 with 22 saves and was booed at times in his first season in Los Angeles as the replacement for Kenley Jansen. Kimbrel leads active pitchers with 394 career saves and has never blown a postseason chance in 23 appearances, although he has a subpar 4.13 ERA in those games.
Chris Martin pitched the ninth inning in LA’s 5-3 win Tuesday night, converting his first postseason save in 15 career appearances.
NO JOSHING
Yankees slugger Josh Donaldson is catching heat from fans even after a satisfying Game 1 win in New York.
The 36-year-old was embarrassingly thrown out on the bases after prematurely going into a home run trot on a ball that bounced off the top of the wall during New York’s 4-1 victory Tuesday. Donaldson didn’t run hard, and he didn’t answer questions about it from reporters after the game, either.
It was hardly the first time Donaldson’s lack of hustle became an issue for the Yankees this year. Boone pulled him aside after an incident Sept. 5 and told him, “Let’s not let that happen.”
FREAKED OUT
Relief pitchers David Robertson of the Phillies and Phil Maton of the Astros were left off their clubs’ Division Series rosters after freak injuries.
Robertson, 37-year-old in a resurgent season for the Phils, injured his right calf jumping to celebrate Bryce Harper’s home run in a clinching Game 2 victory over St. Louis during the wild-card round. He’s not with the team in Atlanta, instead going back to Philadelphia for a PRP injection.
“He’s devastated,” Thomson said. “He really wanted to pitch in the series. And he knows how big a part he is to this club. And he’s very disappointed.”
Maton says he broke his right pinkie finger when he punched a locker in frustration after Houston’s regular-season finale. He’s out for the remainder of the postseason. He called the outburst “shortsighted and ultimately selfish.”
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LOS ANGELES — The San Diego Padres knocked off the 101-win New York Mets in the National League wild-card series.
Awaiting them in the NL Division Series is an even bigger challenge: the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers.
“They’re hot and we’ve been hot for seven months,” a smiling — or was it smirking? — Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman said Monday.
Call it a postseason Freeway Series.
“It’s going to be a very intense series,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Unlike the regular season.
The Southern California rivals were separated by a whopping 22 games in the NL West, with the Dodgers controlling first place for much of the time and the Padres finishing second.
“They handed it to us pretty good this year, so we realize what we’re up against,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “It feels a little bit better now that we’re not looking at the standings.”
That’s not the only way in which the Dodgers dominated the Padres. Los Angeles went 15-4 against them, never lost a series and outscored them 109-47.
As a result, the Dodgers are solid favorites coming into the best-of-five NLDS that begins Tuesday night in Los Angeles. In Game 1, right-hander Mike Clevinger takes the mound for the Padres against left-hander Julio Urías, a 17-game winner for the Dodgers.
Right-hander Yu Darvish, a 16-game winner, starts for the Padres in Game 2 on Wednesday against left-hander Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers’ three-time Cy Young Award winner.
The Dodgers are well-rested, having been been off since closing out the regular season a week ago. While the Padres flew cross-country to outscore the Mets 16-8 in winning the wild-card series in three games, the Dodgers played simulated games in their empty stadium.
They gathered at a high-end steakhouse on Sunday night for a team dinner with the decisive Padres-Mets game on in the background. Watching Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove getting his ears checked for illegal substances by the umpire, “it got a little louder in the room,” Freeman said.
BOLSTERING THE RANKS
San Diego got better at the trade deadline by adding closer Josh Hader and two-time All-Star Juan Soto, who was a teammate of current Dodger Trea Turner on the Washington Nationals.
Hader closed out Game 3 against the Mets and Soto went 2 for 4 with two RBIs in the clincher.
The Dodgers signed Freeman in March, adding offensive punch to an already potent lineup. Freeman hit .325 and finished .001 points behind the Mets’ Jeff McNeil for the NL batting title.
ALMOST LIKE HOME
The last time the Padres were in the playoffs in a full season in front of fans in 2006, Roberts was their leadoff hitter and left fielder. He’ll be able to sleep in his own bed during the NLDS since he lives in the San Diego area.
BUEHLER’S NIGHT OUT
Walker Buehler will be on the mound for Game 2 on Wednesday — to toss out the ceremonial first pitch. The two-time All-Star who helped the Dodgers win the 2020 World Series had his second career Tommy John surgery in August. He’s not expected back until the 2024 season. Buehler was 6-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 starts this season before having surgery.
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LOS ANGELES — Julio Urias made his final tune-up for the postseason and case for the Cy Young Award a solid one, though the Colorado Rockies went ahead after he left and beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 on Tuesday night.
Urias pitched five innings and allowed two runs — both on solo homers. He will finish the season as the National League’s ERA leader at 2.16 with a 17-7 record.
“It’s incredible,” Urias said through an interpreter about winning the title. “Last year to win 20 games and this year to focus and win that ERA title, it’s something really special.”
Randal Grichuk hit a tiebreaking two-run homer, his 19th, off Andrew Heaney (4-4) in the seventh inning.
Clayton Kershaw pitches the final regular season game Wednesday. The Dodgers have a bye and will be off until the NLDS begins Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers will play the winner of the New York Mets-San Diego Padres wild-card round.
A decision on whether Kershaw or Urias is starting Game 1 or 2 has not been made yet, according to manager Dave Roberts.
The Dodgers were held to just five hits and have lost three straight to the Rockies. The Dodgers clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs a while ago.
“I’m not worried,” Roberts said of the recent offensive struggles. “I don’t think it’s worrisome. I think there’s a part of some human nature where there’s a little edge that’s not there given the circumstances. Our guys, the ones that aren’t feeling well, there’s guys in the cage right now trying to work on some things. It’s not for lack of effort. We’ll be ready. We’ll be ready when it counts.”
The Rockies, who have 93 losses, earned at least a split in the six-game series.
Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless ninth and earned his 34th save.
“It’s bittersweet for a lot of teams who aren’t in the playoffs,” manager Bud Black said. “We had higher hopes this year for sure. It’s a little tougher for those teams that had expectations. I’ve been at this a long time. We have some young guys just starting. (Wednesday) will be emotional in a couple different ways. You learn to quickly turn to next year, turn to the offseason and start looking forward with a season of hope.”
Brendan Rodgers homered for the Rockies, hitting his 13th of the season to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. Sean Bouchard also homered off Urias, a solo shot in the third inning to make it 2-0. Bouchard has six hits over the last three games.
Joey Gallo hit a pinch-hit solo home run in the fifth to tie the game at 2. It was his 19th homer of the season.
Urias threw 83 pitches, including 22 to get out of the first, and held the Rockies to four hits.
Urias wouldn’t campaign for himself for the Cy Young Award, preferring to keep the focus on the team.
“Like I’ve said before, that’s out of my control,” Urias said. “My job is to go out there and do what I can to perform and to put the numbers that I put up. Whatever commentary is left over, that’s for everyone to pick and choose what they want to talk about. For me, it’s doing my job. I feel I’ve been doing my job every fifth day.
“The focus is now on the postseason and doing my job for the postseason and trying to get another championship for the city of L.A. and finish it off, especially with all the criticism that goes along with that 2020 season. We want to finish off strong.”
Ryan Feltner (4-9) earned the win after he pitched six innings and allowed two runs on four hits in his final start of the season. He struck out four and walked two.
OH, DRONE
The game was delayed for about 10 minutes because of a drone flying over the stadium. Players went to their respective dugouts when umpires cleared the field and play resumed without further delay. There was a delay during a game at Dodger Stadium in 2020 as well because of a drone.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: RHP Chad Kuhl (right triceps strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list and RHP Noah Davis was recalled from the taxi squad.
Dodgers: OF Chris Taylor (neck) will start doing baseball activities on Wednesday. Dave Roberts said this weekend will be “pivotal” for him to see if he can be ready for the NLDS.
UP NEXT
Rockies: LHP Austin Gomber (5-7, 5.62) will try to make his case to be back in the Rockies rotation again in 2023 after being demoted to the bullpen this season. In 10 2/3 innings in September, he allowed seven earned runs and struck out seven.
Dodgers: LHP Kershaw (11-3, 2.30 ERA) will make an abbreviated start in the regular season finale. Kershaw has won his last four starts and allowed just six earned runs over six starts in September.
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