Dodgers Drop Shohei Ohtani to Fifth Against Chris Sale in Game 3
The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped Shohei Ohtani from second to fifth in the order for Game 3 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves. Manager Dave Roberts said the change is aimed at facing left-hander Chris Sale and improving the team’s chances of scoring, with Ohtani at two hits in eight at-bats through the first two games.
ATLANTA — A batting order can decide scoring chances in a tight playoff series. The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped Shohei Ohtani to fifth in the order for Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, facing left-hander Chris Sale.
The change puts Ohtani at his lowest spot in the batting order since September 23, 2020. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the decision was made specifically for facing Sale and was not a sign of lost confidence in the team’s star.
The stakes are high. The teams enter the game with the series tied at one win apiece, with Sale and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers pitcher and the previous season’s World Series MVP, as the starters.
“Sale's a different monster,” Roberts said.
Roberts said scoring chances could be limited. He rearranged the left-handed hitters so they do not come up back to back against Sale: Freddie Freeman was placed second, Kyle Tucker eighth, and Ohtani in the middle of the order.
Ohtani had two hits and two strikeouts in eight at-bats in the first two games of the NLDS. Over his career against Sale, he has three hits in 15 at-bats with five strikeouts.
“We all understand that Sale's going to be tough,” Roberts said. He added that the hitters at the top of the order have a chance to reach base, and that game situations could create opportunities for Ohtani.
The adjustment matters to the Dodgers because every scoring chance is valuable when they face Sale and the pitchers likely to follow him. Placing Ohtani lower also spreads the left-handed hitters through the order, a strategy Roberts said gives the team the best chance against Atlanta’s pitching.
Ohtani’s form and condition
Ohtani returned from an injury that sidelined him for part of the stretch run of the regular season. He played in only the last five games of the season and went five for 21, including one extra-base hit, with eight strikeouts and one walk.
ESPN reported that Ohtani spent two weeks on the injured list with recurring problems in his right biceps and left knee. Roberts said Ohtani is still chasing pitches as he tries to find his swing again, and will keep facing pitches outside the zone “until he shows some restraint.”
Even so, Roberts said he does not expect Ohtani to bat fifth again for Game 4 on Wednesday, when Atlanta starts right-hander Tyler Mahle. The lineup change, he said, is aimed at that day’s game.
“I just feel this gives us the best chance to beat the Braves today and combat Sale, to combat what they're going to throw after Sale,” Roberts said. He said the decision does not reflect a lack of confidence in the player.
Ohtani joked with Roberts when told of the move. When the manager shared the plan on Monday night, Ohtani said he had considered asking to be placed seventh in September.
He last hit as high as fifth when he played for the Los Angeles Angels in 2020. This season, Ohtani is batting .275 with 30 home runs and 81 RBIs.
Atlanta is also dealing with a slump from its key hitter, Ronald Acuña Jr. He has three hits in 18 postseason at-bats with no home runs, including two hits in nine at-bats in the first two games of the series.
Braves manager Walt Weiss kept Acuña second in the order but moved him from right field to designated hitter in a lineup change ahead of the game. Lane Thomas came in to play right field.
“I just think it's the ebbs and flows of a season where guys get hot and cold,” Weiss said. He said Acuña can produce something special with one swing and chose not to dwell on the slump.
