MILWAUKEE — Getting into this week’s Nationwide League Championship Collection, the Dodgers’ pitching plan appeared easy.
After Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow began the ultimate two video games of the staff’s NL Division Collection victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Shohei Ohtani and Blake Snell have been subsequent in line for Video games 1 and a pair of of the NLCS in opposition to the Milwaukee Brewers.
All of the Dodgers wanted to do was slot Snell in for Recreation 1 on Monday, making him an choice to pitch once more on 4 days’ relaxation in Recreation 5. Then, they may have Ohtani go in Recreation 2 on Tuesday, permitting him to pitch earlier than Wednesday’s scheduled off-day (which has been the staff’s choice for the two-way star) and be out there for an additional begin if the collection returns to Milwaukee for Video games 6 and seven.
On Sunday, nonetheless, supervisor Dave Roberts introduced a distinct plan.
Snell will certainly go in Recreation 1, making an attempt to construct upon the 1.38 ERA he posted in his first two outings this postseason.
However as an alternative of Ohtani in Recreation 2, it is going to be Yamamoto who will get the ball — pushing Ohtani’s subsequent pitching look to someday later this collection, Roberts mentioned.
“We just don’t know which day,” Roberts mentioned of when Ohtani will get the ball. “But he’ll pitch at some point.”
That alignment got here as a shock, but additionally had advantages from the Dodgers’ perspective.
Not like Ohtani, who has gotten at the least six days off between each considered one of his pitching outings for the reason that begin of July, Yamamoto has routinely pitched on 5 days’ relaxation this season. By beginning him in Recreation 2, he can keep on that very same schedule to pitch a possible Recreation 6 — one thing the Dodgers would have been much less comfy having Ohtani do.
By pushing Ohtani again to at the least Recreation 3, after all, the Dodgers will sacrifice their capability to get him two begins on this collection. Nevertheless, even when he pitches in one of many Dodgers’ dwelling video games later this week, Ohtani may come out of the bullpen in a possible Recreation 7 — the type of aid alternative the staff had hinted at for weeks down the stretch this season.
As a result of Ohtani will make only one pitching begin within the NLCS, Roberts mentioned it’s not as crucial that it come earlier than an off-day, both.
“You have two other guys that potentially can pitch on regular rest,” Roberts mentioned. “So [it’s about] how do you get your best pitchers the most innings in a potential seven-game series?”
Exterior of pitching concerns, nonetheless, there’s one more reason delaying Ohtani’s subsequent pitching outing may additionally make sense.
Within the NLDS, Ohtani went one for 18 on the plate with 9 strikeouts. He seemed significantly out of types in Recreation 1, when he struck out 4 instances in what was his first profession playoff sport each hitting and pitching.
Popping out of the collection, Roberts emphasised the necessity for Ohtani to “recalibrate” on the plate, noting that the staff was “not gonna win the World Series with that sort of performance” from its largest star.
And whereas Roberts insisted on Sunday that Ohtani’s offensive stoop had “no bearing” on the staff shuffling its rotation, giving Ohtani two video games in the beginning of the NLCS to focus soley on hitting actually gained’t harm his efforts to straighten out his swing.
“I expect a different output from Shohei on the offensive side this series,” Roberts mentioned.
For at least the subsequent couple days, that might be his solely goal.
