The Los Angeles Dodgers’ offensive struggles continued in a 1-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday that saw Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani go a combined 1-for-7 at the plate.
Betts and Ohtani are in the midst of MVP-caliber seasons but have hit a rough patch as of late. Betts has recorded just one hit in his last 20 at-bats, while Ohtani is batting .193 over his last 20 games.
Betts’ and Ohtani’s respective slumps have coincided with the Dodgers struggling to put runs on the board. The team has scored more than four runs just five times over their last 18 games.
Manager Dave Roberts believes it is important for Betts and Ohtani to get back on track, via Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
“Sometimes you can point to Mookie as the straw that stirs the drink. And also Shohei when he’s going well, it seems like our offense takes off,” Roberts said. “Those two guys at the top are a big part of what we do. They’re just kind of not where they need to be right now.”
Betts’ cold streak comes at a time in which the Dodgers’ lineup has collectively struggled. He is prone to a few slumps throughout the year, just like any player, and should eventually get back to being the spark plug of the Dodgers lineup.
For Ohtani, his current slump could be related to the hamstring contusion suffered a couple of weeks ago when he was hit in the leg on a pickoff attempt.
The 29-year-old has also been dealing with the fallout of former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara being charged with bank fraud and tax fraud after stealing millions from the two-way star to pay off gambling debts.
MLB officially closed its investigation into the matter on Tuesday and deemed Ohtani a victim of theft.
Shohei Ohtani statement on MLB’s investigation
With Ohtani being cleared by MLB, he hopes to put the situation behind him. “Now that the investigation has been completed, this full admission of guilt has brought important closure to me and my family,” Ohtani said in a statement.
“I want to sincerely thank the authorities for finishing their thorough and effective investigation so quickly and uncovering all of the evidence.
“This has been a uniquely challenging time, so l am especially grateful for my support team – my family, agent, agency, lawyers, and advisors along with the entire Dodger organization, who showed endless support throughout this process.
“It’s time to close this chapter, move on and continue to focus on playing and winning ballgames.”
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