“He’s like an assassin,” Dave Roberts said back in spring training, totally sold on Tanner Scott as his guy. The Los Angeles Dodgers manager sang praises for his $72 million lefty being a rather intimidating presence on the mound. And why not? Scott’s fastballs are sick, and his sharp sliders are slick. He was supposed to close games with authority. But it’s funny how fast things can change.
Because, somewhere along the way, the script has completely flipped. On Monday night, the Dodgers suffered a brutal 4-3 extra-inning loss to the New York Mets, and Tanner Scott was at the center of the storm.
After the Dodgers clawed their way back, thanks to Shohei Ohtani’s heroics, Scott gave up two runs in the 10th and continued what has become an alarming trend of his. Instead of overpowering hitters, he just fed them meatballs, and the Mets feasted. Francisco Alvarez drilled a center-cut fastball for an RBI double, and Lindor followed with a single on a 2-0 pitch. Just like that, a hard comeback went for a toss.
Tanner Scott himself admitted, “Yeah, it’s getting hit a lot. It sucks right now. Last year, I relied on it a lot. This year, it’s getting hit, and I’m missing locations.” This sums it all up. The problem isn’t his velocity, but where the ball is ending up. And finally, Dave Roberts said it out loud. Roberts told reporters, “I think with Tanner, it’s just missed location. My eyes and talking to our pitching guys tell me the stuff’s good. It’s just the command just isn’t where it needs to be right now … Because obviously the intent isn’t to go to the middle part of the plate.”
Tanner Scott’s recent numbers are also staggering—two losses, three blown saves, and 10 earned runs in his last six innings. His ERA is now at 4.73—the highest among the relievers. But the problem is the Dodgers don’t have other options. Evan Phillips, their most trusted closer, is out for the season. Blake Treinen and Michael Kopech are also sidelined, so Roberts doesn’t have much choice but to play rookies and whoever is available.
So, despite the struggles, Roberts is not giving up on Scott just yet. When asked about whether he would hand him the ball in a save situation, Roberts said, “Yeah, I would…. Sometimes we don’t have the luxury.” Crazy to think, this was the roster everyone said had the most depth. Well, baseball sure can be unpredictable. One silver lining for the Dodgers amid the chaos? Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani’s May Magic as Los Angeles Dodgers stumble through late-inning woes
While Dave Roberts is losing sleep over the late-inning collapse, Shohei Ohtani is giving fans something to cheer about. And this time, it was yet again historic. Ohtani once again etched his name in baseball history by matching a decade-old home run record. May has been rather fruitful for him, after a rather slow start to the season for the Japanese phenom. He had just one home run in 47 plate appearances from April 20 to May 2. But Ohtani has flipped the script completely.
Ohtani has been on an absolute tear, crushing 15 home runs through May. And this is not impressive; this is unheard of in Dodgers history. Before Ohtani, only two Dodgers legends had done it—Duke Snider in August 1953 and Pedro Guerrero in June 1985. Just hold your brake, son, on the thought. Snider was slugging in the days of Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella. Guerrero’s surge also came 40 years ago! And finally, now, Ohtani joins them, simply bridging the eras with one swing after another.
What makes the feat even more awe-inspiring is that Ohtani was not just teeing off on anyone but taking on elite arms. Sandy Alcantara and Max Fried are top-tier Guardians and Mets stars. He punished them all, and his numbers have ramped up plenty. A .309 batting average, .398 OBP, and a monster 1.180 OPS in May. A month worthy of an MVP trophy on its own.
Plus, get this—this is not even the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way phenom’s first 15-homer month. He did it back when he was with the Angels in 2023, too. For some context, the all-time MLB record for it is 20 in a month, and that was set by Sammy Sosa. Do you think Ohtani can beat it or match it this time? Let us know.
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