Even a superstar like Ohtani with three MVP trophies on his mantle can still have a moment that leaves the crowd groaning and his manager fuming.
Ohtani Gamble Turns Costly
Sunday afternoon in Toronto, Shohei Ohtani looked like he was on the verge of adding yet another chapter to his highlight reel. He’d already swiped second base, he was in scoring position with two outs, and Freddie Freeman — a reigning World Series MVP, no less — was at the plate. Then… he decided to push the envelope. Brendon Little fired a strike to Freeman, Ohtani broke for third, and before anyone could say “ballgame,” he was tagged out. Last out of the inning. At third base. One of baseball’s oldest “don’t do this” moves.
Now, to be fair, the whole “never make the last out at third” mantra has been around since dirt was invented, but it’s not without its exceptions. Still, Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts wasn’t in an exception-making mood. Asked about the play afterward, Roberts didn’t sugarcoat it: “That was his decision… not a good baseball play.”
Bats Go Silent When It Counts
Ohtani’s baserunning misstep was a head-scratcher, sure, but let’s be real — he wasn’t the reason the Dodgers coughed this one up. He launched his 41st home run of the year (tying him for the National League lead), collected another hit, and drew two walks… the man did damage. The real problem was that the Dodgers stranded sixteen runners. And they went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Bullpen Lets the Game Slip Away
The bullpen didn’t exactly save the day either. Holding a 3-2 lead, Blake Treinen coughed up back-to-back homers to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger in the eighth inning, flipping the scoreboard and the momentum.
Roberts summed it up with the tone of a man who’d been watching the whole thing unravel from the dugout: “This is frustrating because I just felt there’s no way we should lose this game today. We had them on the ropes numerous times.”
The Dodgers’ margin in the NL West is down to a hair-thin two games. Up next: a date with the Angels before a crucial showdown with the red-hot San Diego Padres. In other words, the time for “oops” plays on the bases is over.
