Philadelphia (AP) – Shohei Ohtani is more the sultan of the squatillas than a modern girl Ruth when the Los Angeles Dodgers star plays in Philadelphia.
He has not yet hit any of his 250 homers in Philadelphia. He is hitting .250 for life at Citizens Bank Park with only two extra-base hits and four races driven in 12 games and 44 spin to bat. He hit 16 times.
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So, if the bat is cold, why not throw?
Ohtani finally makes his postseason debut when he takes the mound on Saturday for the Dodgers in the first game of the NL Division series against the Philis.
The best series of five between two franchises that have played in a World Series in the last three seasons, however, in some way, they have not been known in the playoffs since 2009, it is loaded with Star Power.
Bryce Harper and Trea Turner. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.
However, no player is coming as big in the series as Ohtani.
The global two -way sensation did not present for the Dodgers last season while recovering from a second elbow surgery, in September 2023. It still became the first player with at least 50 homers and 50 stolen bases when the Dodgers won the World Series on the New York Yankees.
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Back in the coup this season, Ohtani struck out 62 batters in 47 entries with an effectiveness of 2.87 in 14 openings. He has three straight openings without goals for the Dodgers and comes from his best departure from the season against Arizona. The fast ball of the right was consistently in the range of 98-100 mph, reaching 101.2 in a delivery, for six entries of the season. He hit eight.
Ohtani, 31, has slowly accumulated his release count when he returned from surgery. He launched 91 launches of the season against Arizona at the beginning of the Mound of Baseball 100 of the Major Leagues.
“I am sure that sometimes I will be nervous,” Ohtani said Friday through a translator. “But more than that, I am really grateful to be able to play baseball at this time of the year. And being healthy is really important for me, so I am grateful for that.”
Ohtani launched five entries without success against the Philis last month before the bullpen implode in a 9-6 victory in Philadelphia. Ohtani struck out five and walked one. He launched 42 of 68 launches for attacks and withdrew his 13 final batters.
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The Phillies reliever, Walker Buehler, who got the final for the Dodgers to win the World Series last year, admired what he saw about Ohtani during his time as teammates and noticed that “the answer is very simple” in terms of what made Slugger so good.
Just look at the numbers.
On the plate, Ohtani was encouraged in September, hitting .312 with 10 homers and an OPS of 1,165. The regular season with 55 homers ended, one more than last season. Against the Reds in game 1 of the Wild Card series, he hit two homers. He had 1 of 4 of 4 with a walk, a scored race and an RBI in the victory of the closing of Wednesday.
“The fast ball plays, rupture balls are acute. So it will obviously be a challenge for us,” said Phillies Realmuto receiver. “But I think, I hope to see it for the second time, it will help our boys.”
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The East Champion Philis of the National League tried to stay strong with the training, and an intrasquad scrimog in front of 31,000 fans who pay, during the dismissal of five days after the New York Mets hit them in this round last year. Ohtani is certainly not easier to face in any situation, much less a high -profile playoff game when the philis’ batters could be a bit oxidized.
Harper, the National League champion, Kyle Schwarber, and the rest of the Philis, could not understand Ohtani last month.
“It is the combination of power and control, command, things,” said the Phillies manager Rob Thomson. “It was really good. I was pumping strikes and it was 98, 99. And secondary releases are higher than average.
“So, if you are doing that, it’s a difficult task.”
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Can Sánchez defend against Ohtani in game 1?
Cristopher Sánchez may not have the recognition of Ohtani’s name, but the right of the Philis is in the conversation for the Cy Young Award of the NL after the maximum career in victories, entries and strikeouts.
Sánchez (13-5, 2.50 of effectiveness, 212 strikeouts in 202 entries released) receives the game of game 1 for the Philis largely because Ace Zack Wheeler is marginalized after the complications of a blood clot.
But Sánchez is up to the task high, and the right of 6 feet and 6 is on a hot streak.
He allowed only seven races during his last six openings and struck out six in seven tickets and did not decide at the beginning of September 16 in Los Angeles. The Philis apparently have the baseball version of a bargain after signing Sánchez in the middle of last season with a contract of $ 22.5 million and four years until 2028.
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Sánchez, 28, is online to obtain critical game 1, and possibly game 4, begins. Sánchez was 6-0 with an effectiveness of 1.94 and 115 strikeouts in 15 beginnings this season at Citizens Bank Park.
“I know he loves to launch here. He loves the atmosphere,” said Realmuto. “What the crowd brings him, I think, is something that cannot be exaggerated. Obviously, his numbers here have really been good in recent years. There is something he feels in this stadium where he simply feels at home, he feels safe and likes to dominate here.”
Dodgers and Philis have great payrolls
There is a bit of admiration and mutual connection between the two franchises largely due to their strong payrolls.
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The Dodgers have the most expensive list with seasonal movements that increased their payroll to $ 341.5 million more than $ 168 million in taxes for a total expenditure of $ 509 million, according to the latest tabulation of the major baseball leagues. Philadelphia has the fourth highest expense at $ 347.7 million with a payroll of $ 291.7 million and $ 55.9 million in prognosis taxes.
Harper said in April that he was a fan of free -spending forms of Dodgers to build a winner.
“I feel that only the losers complain about what they are doing. I think they are a great team and a great organization,” said Harper.
Realmuto, eligible for free agency at the end of the postseason, also launched his support on Friday behind the spending of the Dodgers.
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“They are the epitome of what Major League should be; they leave every year and try to win, their property is incredible, their main office is excellent. It is an organization that the other teams admire,” he said. “And I see myself in the same way. I feel that this confrontation will be a lot of fun. And it is good for the game to have these two teams that do it.”
Even with the seed and home field No. 2, the Philis are the loser of bets to win the series against the Dodgers (-120), according to the Betmgm sports notebook. The Dodgers (+360) are the favorites to win the World Series.
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(Tagstotranslate) Shhehei Ohtani
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