After Shohei Ohtani got his first experience in postseason baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, a return trip to the National League Division Series brought about a new first.
Ohtani took the mound in Game 1 at Citizens Bank Park for his first career playoff start as a pitcher.
“I’m sure I’ll be nervous at times,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton on Friday night. “But more than that, I’m just really grateful that I get to play baseball at this time of the year. And just being healthy is really important to me, so I’m just grateful for that.”
While Dodgers manager Dave Roberts saw Ohtani make 14 starts during the year, which culminated with a season-high six innings, he planned to soak in the scene.
“I think as he takes the mound for the bottom half, I’m going to take a moment just to appreciate him doing something really unprecedented,” Roberts said before Game 1.
“He’s done a tremendous deal for our ballclub on a micro level — obviously with the talent, the two-way player — but much more broad for baseball. He’s just a player that people have to see, want to go see. It’s just been a huge benefit to our game, which is great.”
Roberts had a hope, perhaps even a goal, of Ohtani pitching six or seven innings.
Shohei Ohtani’s first playoff start as pitcher
Ohtani believed adrenaline from the postseason environment would result in an increase with his fastball velocity, but he largely remained within usual range.
The right-hander needed just 12 pitches as he retired the side in order in the first inning, collecting five swings and misses along the way. Kyle Schwarber hit a fly ball that was caught on warning track in right field.
The second inning didn’t go as well for Ohtani, as a leadoff walk and base hit put two on with nobody out. Then a misplay — if not lack of effort — by Teoscar Hernández resulted in a triple for J.T. Realmuto that plated both runners. It also afforded an extra base for Realmuto, and he was brought home on Harrison Bader’s sacrifice fly.
The runs Ohtani allowed were his first since Aug. 27, snapping a streak of 17.2 scoreless innings.
Ohtani bounced back in the third to retire the Phillies in order, which included striking out Schwarber and Bryce Harper. A total of 10 batters were retired in a row before Ohtani hit Harrison Bader on an 0-2 pitch with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning.
A single followed but Ohtani managed to strand both runners to keep the Dodgers’ deficit at 3-0. He struck out Schwarber in a full count to end the inning.
Ohtani wound up getting through six innings on 89 pitches and finished with nine strikeouts. Schwarber and Harper went a combined 0-for-6 with four strikeouts.
Ohtani exited with the Dodgers ahead 5-2 thanks to Hernández’s three-run homer in the top of the sixth. Ohtani went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts before officially coming out of the game as a pitcher.
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