
One of Los Angeles Dodgers baseball prodigy Shohei Ohtani’s life goals is to win a World Series on the biggest stage.
That’s why he chose the Dodgers to be the final partner in his MLB journey after last season ended, as there’s a good chance he’ll be holding the trophy in his arms. Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to hit 50-50 (54 home runs, 59 doubles) this year while wearing Dodger blue. The Dodgers finished the regular season with 98 wins and 64 losses, the best winning percentage in both leagues, and home-field advantage heading into the World Series. But the Dodgers and Ohtani don’t have an easy road to the World Series this year. In fact, there’s a pessimistic view that they’re unlikely to win it.
The Dodgers’ 1-3 lineup of Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman is legendary. The supporting firepower from Teoscar Hernandez, Will Smith, Max Muncy, and other one-hit wonder hitters in the middle and long range is also explosive.
The Dodgers are second in the MLB in runs scored (842) and RBIs (815) this season, and third in home runs (223).
The Dodgers’ struggles stem from their starting pitching, which hasn’t been as consistent as it was last year. The Dodgers still have painful memories of last year, when they won 100 games (62) and were swept in three games in the Division Series by the Arizona Diamondbacks, who won 84 games (78). Three starters – Clayton Kershaw, 메이저사이트 Lance Lynn and Bobby Miller – were combined for 13 runs in four and two-thirds innings. This year, Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone are out for the season, and Clayton Kershaw hasn’t recovered from his toe injury.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Zach Flaherty, and Walker Buehler are the only three starters in fall ball who are not 100 percent. Yamamoto has just returned from a shoulder injury, and Flaherty, who was traded during the season, has averaged around six earned runs in his last three starts. Buehler, who returned midseason after undergoing elbow ligament reconstruction surgery, hasn’t been the same pitcher.
The Dodgers’ Division Series opponent is the Padres, who happen to be the second-best team in the division.
The Padres have one of the most balanced offenses in baseball right now. They surged in September and at one point were in the hunt for first place in the division. The Padres met the Dodgers in the 2022 postseason, winning 3-1, and lead the head-to-head series 8-5 this season. Ohtani is batting .326 with one home run and seven RBIs against the Padres. The Dodgers will send Yamamoto (7-2, 3.00) to the mound for Game 1 on Saturday. The Padres will counter with Dylan Sease (14-11, 2.47).
The New York Mets rallied for a 4-2 victory in Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series on Thursday to advance to the Division Series for the first time in nine years. The Mets faced a 0-0 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning when the Brewers’ Jake Bautista and Sal Prellick hit back-to-back home runs. But they rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth, including a walk-off three-run homer by Pete Alonso, to win the game. The Mets will host the Philadelphia Phillies. The best-of-five, best-of-three division series will begin on June 6th.