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The story
On October 7 (October 8 Japan time), the Dodgers beat the Braves 4-1 in Game 4 of the NLDS, taking the series 3-1 and clinching a spot in the NLCS. Shohei Ohtani joined the post-game champagne celebration with a smile, but he went hitless for the second straight game in this series and has been dropped down in the batting order. On 5ch, some praised Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s strong pitching and the opponent’s fielding errors for putting the Dodgers in control, while others mocked the headline for describing Ohtani’s slump as having “presence,” and still others offered harsh criticism of his prolonged hitting struggles — opinions were sharply divided.
Shohei Ohtani Smiles Through Champagne Celebration — “Demoted” in the Order After Going Hitless for 2 Straight Games, Yet Still Makes His Presence Felt
[MLB] Dodgers 4-1 Braves (Atlanta, October 8 Japan time)
The Dodgers won Game 4 of their road NLDS series against the Braves on the 7th (October 8 Japan time), taking the series 3-1 overall and advancing to the League Championship Series.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Did dragging the team down count as "presence"?
I thought this team was pretty mediocre this year,
but maybe Yamamoto's outing yesterday really was the key.
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2107963289749655552/vid/avc1/1920×1080/Po8H9UU2-RL4-Han.mp4
Looks slow but he's probably actually fast.
Runs like he's lugging some extra weight.
Cashed in on the other team's two errors.
Yamamoto's pitching was dominant, Sasaki hit his fastest pitch ever and looked fired up.
Ohtani… well, good luck next time.
Even the sports news leads with Murakami and Yamamoto now.
Then Okamoto, Suzuki.
Then Ohtani, Sasaki, Imanaga.
They're finally slapping the headline they use for underperforming soccer players onto Ohtani lol
And who do you think it's thanks to that they caught up?
This is supposed to be baseball's superstar?
Media hype built him up too much, sure, but it's disappointing — a guy's true colors show when things get tough.
Home game, ace Sale starting —
this was an absolute must-win for the Braves.
Sale shut down the Dodgers' lineup all season,
so the Braves had to be counting on at least one win with him on the mound.
Once they lost that game, the series was basically over for them.
Last year he had 8 home runs, 14 RBIs.
Didn't he even pick up a win as a pitcher?
The guy's just got luck on his side.
He's always had luck going for him, if nothing else.
What kind of job lets you watch baseball on a weekday morning anyway?
MLB's just low-level anyway.
They call it "fly ball" this or that,
but it's really just juiced balls.
Of course Japanese hitters can knock 30 out with that.
Though Okamoto and Murakami both have low batting averages.
Could there be some serious injury, illness, or just aging behind it?
Probably because the tablet (AI) he'd been relying on got banned starting in the second half of this season.
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
Shohei Ohtani’s home run pace has slowed in the second half of this season, and he went hitless for two straight games in the Division Series, resulting in him being dropped in the batting order. Many posts in the thread linked this slump to the team’s PR handling or his attitude in interviews, but these are all speculation on 5ch, not anything the Dodgers have officially commented on. Others defended him by pointing to his four career MVP awards, leaving opinions sharply divided. The series just won was the best-of-five Division Series; clearing it advances the team to the League Championship Series (NLCS). The thread also credited Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s strong pitching and the opponents’ fielding errors for putting the Dodgers in control — a point easily overlooked given the focus on Ohtani’s individual slump, even though the team as a whole is performing well.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisoku Sokuho+) thread “[MLB] Dodgers Advance to the League Championship Series! Shohei Ohtani Smiles Through Champagne Celebration — Demoted in the Order After Going Hitless for 2 Straight Games, Yet Still Makes His Presence Felt.”
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