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The story
The Dodgers suffered a 0-1 shutout loss to the Braves on the 27th (28th Japan time), completing a shocking three-game sweep. Yoshinobu Yamamoto turned in 6.1 innings of one-run ball but got no run support and took his 8th loss, while Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts against Cy Young-winning lefty Chris Sale. On 5ch, users are debating whether the Dodgers can still skip the Wild Card round and what’s behind Ohtani’s batting slump.
◇ The 27th (28th Japan time): Braves 1 – Dodgers 0 (Atlanta)
The Dodgers’ lineup was shut out by 2024 Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale, their third shutout of the season, completing a three-game sweep at the hands of the NL East-leading Braves. Starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched well, allowing 4 hits and 1 run over 6.1 innings, but still took the loss — his 8th of the season against 12 wins. Shohei Ohtani went hitless in 4 at-bats with 2 strikeouts against Sale.
In the first inning, leadoff hitter Baldwin squared up Yamamoto’s first-pitch splitter perfectly, sending it into the right-field stands for a leadoff home run — exit velocity 170.9 km/h (106.2 mph), distance 122.5 meters (402 feet).
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Seriously, looks like Ohtani's past his peak
Re: #7
Ohtani-the-hitter is obviously great, and Ohtani-the-pitcher would be amazing too if he could stay on the mound, but he gets hurt so fast now — can't dream about the two-way act anymore.
Ohtani-the-hitter is obviously great, and Ohtani-the-pitcher would be amazing too if he could stay on the mound, but he gets hurt so fast now — can't dream about the two-way act anymore.
Re: #7
Can't be helped, he's raising two kids now — he's got to put more into family life than ever before.
Can't be helped, he's raising two kids now — he's got to put more into family life than ever before.
Re: #1
Ohtani never hits when Yamamoto's on the mound lol
Does he hate the guy or something? lol
Ohtani never hits when Yamamoto's on the mound lol
Does he hate the guy or something? lol
Re: #8
Maybe it's just that opponents bring out their ace when Yamamoto starts too?
Maybe it's just that opponents bring out their ace when Yamamoto starts too?
Turns out there are a ton of Cy Young winners out there
Re: #11
No Japanese pitcher has won it yet
No Japanese pitcher has won it yet
Re: #11
Well, a new one shows up every year
Well, a new one shows up every year
Sale pitching like this at 37 is a monster
Big Kite (nickname riffing on Ohtani's name) has turned into an electric fan — total whiff machine, can't buy a hit
Re: #26
His strikeout total is actually low, what are you even looking at?
Ohtani's the only guy with a slugging percentage this high and a strikeout rate this low.
If you want to rag on someone for striking out too much, go after Schwarber.
His strikeout total is actually low, what are you even looking at?
Ohtani's the only guy with a slugging percentage this high and a strikeout rate this low.
If you want to rag on someone for striking out too much, go after Schwarber.
Shohei Ohtani AVG .285 HR 30 RBI 80 OPS .927
Seiya Suzuki AVG .270 HR 22 RBI 75 OPS .842
Munetaka Murakami AVG .219 HR 29 RBI 58 OPS .860
Kazuma Okamoto AVG .228 HR 26 RBI 74 OPS .736
Seiya Suzuki AVG .270 HR 22 RBI 75 OPS .842
Munetaka Murakami AVG .219 HR 29 RBI 58 OPS .860
Kazuma Okamoto AVG .228 HR 26 RBI 74 OPS .736
Re: #38
Murakami's OPS has really tanked
Looks like Seiya's about to pass him
Murakami's OPS has really tanked
Looks like Seiya's about to pass him
This was supposed to be a huge series with the postseason in mind, and this is bad.
The Braves have closed the gap to just 1 game — at this rate there's no skipping the Wild Card round.
And winning a short series is basically a coin flip anyway, so a Wild Card exit is a real possibility now.
The Braves have closed the gap to just 1 game — at this rate there's no skipping the Wild Card round.
And winning a short series is basically a coin flip anyway, so a Wild Card exit is a real possibility now.
Re: #46
The Dodgers still have a lot of games left against teams that are eliminated or nearly eliminated from playoff contention, while the Braves have to keep facing division leaders and other top teams — so looking at the remaining schedule, the Dodgers are actually in a much better spot.
The Dodgers still have a lot of games left against teams that are eliminated or nearly eliminated from playoff contention, while the Braves have to keep facing division leaders and other top teams — so looking at the remaining schedule, the Dodgers are actually in a much better spot.
Re: #46
Once the postseason hits they start playing like a real team, and they're stacked with guys who thrive on the big stage, so they just end up winning it all anyway.
Wonder how long they can keep the title streak going.
Once the postseason hits they start playing like a real team, and they're stacked with guys who thrive on the big stage, so they just end up winning it all anyway.
Wonder how long they can keep the title streak going.
Yama's the ace, so opposing teams throw their ace at him too — his win total being low is partly just bad luck of matchups.
Re: #57
In a recent start Sale went toe-to-toe with Misiorowski and lost lol
In a recent start Sale went toe-to-toe with Misiorowski and lost lol
Mr. Ohtani, ranked 103rd out of 125 qualified players in Late & Close situations
https://www.mlb.com/stats/ops?split=lc&page=5
https://www.mlb.com/stats/ops?split=lc&page=5
Re: #61
Ohtani himself is terrible in tight late-game spots, but honestly the whole Dodgers lineup struggles in the clutch — 26th out of 30 teams.
https://www.mlb.com/stats/team/ops?split=lc
They keep getting shut down easily by opposing bullpens.
Ohtani himself is terrible in tight late-game spots, but honestly the whole Dodgers lineup struggles in the clutch — 26th out of 30 teams.
https://www.mlb.com/stats/team/ops?split=lc
They keep getting shut down easily by opposing bullpens.
Grounder-tani (Ohtani hitting nothing but weak grounders) and Teoscar's defense are both a disaster
Re: #63
They're both swinging at garbage pitches together, no sign either of them is even trying to work the at-bat
They're both swinging at garbage pitches together, no sign either of them is even trying to work the at-bat
Ohtani's decline came on so suddenly. Why?
Re: #65
He's like this whenever his focus drifts toward pitching
He's like this whenever his focus drifts toward pitching
Re: #65
Maybe it's from shifting his training toward pitching, but his bat speed has dropped and he's been late on fastballs a lot more.
Even so he's still 3rd in OPS across all of MLB, so really he was just insanely good before, and this year's more of a pitching-heavy season league-wide.
Look at Murakami, who people used to compare him to — the guy's having a rough year now.
Maybe it's from shifting his training toward pitching, but his bat speed has dropped and he's been late on fastballs a lot more.
Even so he's still 3rd in OPS across all of MLB, so really he was just insanely good before, and this year's more of a pitching-heavy season league-wide.
Look at Murakami, who people used to compare him to — the guy's having a rough year now.
Forget batting average with runners in scoring position… Shohei Ohtani's real issue is '68' — US reporter laments his 'clutch weakness,' calls it 'disappointing'
https://full-count.jp/2024/06/14/post1569987/
American reporters have been flagging his struggles in high-pressure, game-deciding moments for two years now.
https://full-count.jp/2024/06/14/post1569987/
American reporters have been flagging his struggles in high-pressure, game-deciding moments for two years now.
Re: #78
He looks calm but he's probably panicking inside
He looks calm but he's probably panicking inside
His left knee can't be in great shape, yet I saw reports he's about to return to pitching soon — are they serious?
Re: #94
He just doesn't want to throw with Rushing catching — they're timing it to line up with Smith's return instead.
He just doesn't want to throw with Rushing catching — they're timing it to line up with Smith's return instead.
No contract next season for Rojas and Kiké Hernández, and trade Rushing, Teoscar, and Betts —
The Dodgers won't actually turn things around unless they go at least this far.
The Dodgers won't actually turn things around unless they go at least this far.
The Dodgers average 5 runs a game and he's sitting on a 2.61 ERA, so how is he only 12-8?
He should be winning way more than that.
Does baseball just have it out for him or something?
He should be winning way more than that.
Does baseball just have it out for him or something?
Re: #113
That's because they show zero mercy running up the score against scrub pitchers on weak teams — it's a different story against good ones.
That's because they show zero mercy running up the score against scrub pitchers on weak teams — it's a different story against good ones.
0-for-4 lol
No home runs in 7 straight games lol
MVP's basically locked up, right? (sarcasm)
No home runs in 7 straight games lol
MVP's basically locked up, right? (sarcasm)
Re: #121
The MVP race is basically down to just PCA and Ohtani at this point, but honestly it's looking bad for Ohtani.
Right now the odds are something like 66% PCA, 34% Ohtani.
Ohtani's supposedly coming back to pitch in September though, so if he throws a perfect game or a no-hitter or something absurd, there's a small chance he could still flip it.
The MVP race is basically down to just PCA and Ohtani at this point, but honestly it's looking bad for Ohtani.
Right now the odds are something like 66% PCA, 34% Ohtani.
Ohtani's supposedly coming back to pitch in September though, so if he throws a perfect game or a no-hitter or something absurd, there's a small chance he could still flip it.
Re: #133
Given how few games are left, he's not going to pitch much anyway — or rather, the Dodgers won't let him.
Everyone keeps saying he's slumping, but he's still the Dodgers' OPS leader, so they can't afford to risk an injury.
Given how few games are left, he's not going to pitch much anyway — or rather, the Dodgers won't let him.
Everyone keeps saying he's slumping, but he's still the Dodgers' OPS leader, so they can't afford to risk an injury.
Re: #133
Even if he pitches lights-out in one game it won't move the stats at all. He's jumping straight back to the majors with no rehab starts, so his first couple outings will only be around 2 innings. Even in his last two starts they won't stretch him past 5 innings or let him finish a game.
Even if he pitches lights-out in one game it won't move the stats at all. He's jumping straight back to the majors with no rehab starts, so his first couple outings will only be around 2 innings. Even in his last two starts they won't stretch him past 5 innings or let him finish a game.
Re: #87
Maybe it's time for Ohtani to just focus on hitting.
Building your body for pitching and for hitting are completely different things, after all.
At his age, trying to do both is probably starting to catch up with him little by little.
If he focused only on hitting, his batting numbers would probably climb a bit more.
If he picked just one role, he's still young enough that decline shouldn't be an issue yet.
Maybe it's time for Ohtani to just focus on hitting.
Building your body for pitching and for hitting are completely different things, after all.
At his age, trying to do both is probably starting to catch up with him little by little.
If he focused only on hitting, his batting numbers would probably climb a bit more.
If he picked just one role, he's still young enough that decline shouldn't be an issue yet.
Re: #130
If Ohtani drops out of the rotation, they lose the extra rotation spot his two-way role gives them, so next year they'd naturally have to run a normal 5-man rotation — but Yamamoto and Sasaki probably can't hold up under that workload.
If Ohtani drops out of the rotation, they lose the extra rotation spot his two-way role gives them, so next year they'd naturally have to run a normal 5-man rotation — but Yamamoto and Sasaki probably can't hold up under that workload.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread “[Baseball] Dodgers Suffer Humiliating 3-Game Sweep to Braves, Shut Out by Cy Young Lefty — Ohtani Goes 0-for-4, Yamamoto Takes 8th Loss, Wild Card Exemption in Jeopardy.”
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