The Dodgers went into Wednesday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs looking to win the series and get out of their early season funk. Instead they left Wrigley Field on the wrong end of a 7-6 loss, and got swept by the Cubs. And at the center of it all was Shohei Ohtani, whose struggles defined another frustrating loss.
Ohtani’s Big Moment: A Missed Opportunity
With the Dodgers down one in the 6th, runners at 2nd and 3rd, 2 outs, Ohtani came up with a chance to flip the script. With first base open the Cubs didn’t issue an intentional walk, leaving lefty Matthew Boyd to face Ohtani for the 4th time that night.
What followed was Ohtani in a nutshell. After working a 2-0 count he chased a fastball up and in and popped out softly to short. The rally died and with it went the Dodgers best chance to take the lead.
Manager Dave Roberts summed it up:
“Just got too big with the swing. Where all you need is a base hit right there.”
A Slump That’s Hard to Ignore
Ohtani’s struggles have been building for a few weeks now but are impossible to ignore. Since coming off the paternity list last weekend he’s gone 1-10 and his season average has dropped to .261 – below the .310 he hit last year. Over his last 14 games he’s hit .224.
“He’s human,” Mookie Betts said when asked about Ohtani. “I think we’re all so used to him never doing anything bad.”
While Betts is optimistic, pointing out Ohtani could get hot at any moment, the reality is the Dodgers can’t wait much longer for their superstar to get going. For most of his time here Ohtani has been the one who bails them out during tough stretches. Now his struggles are adding to the problems plaguing the rest of the roster.
Dodgers’ Woes Go Beyond Ohtani
It’s not just Ohtani who’s struggling. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, two of the top of the order, are hitting .250 and the bottom of the order is still a mess. The bullpen, once a strength, is showing cracks and blowing leads in back to back games. And the little things – like Austin Barnes getting picked off at first or Andy Pages throwing to the wrong base – are adding up.
“We have some things to clean up,” Roberts said after the game. “We gave them extra outs.”
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