In a stunning blowout on Wednesday night, one of MLB’s most formidable lineups was left frozen at the plate. The Dodgers‘ powerful bats were silenced as the Mets surged to a 6-1 victory. Stars faltered, Shohei Ohtani struck out, and behind it all was a meticulously crafted plan that dismantled the Dodgers pitch by pitch by their starting pitcher. It wasn’t merely dominance, it was surgical precision. Even Dodgers manager Dave Roberts couldn’t help but admit: they were outplayed.
Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium served as a reality check for the Dodgers. It became loud and clear that it’s not impossible to break them down; all it takes is an arsenal of pitchers with more than just strong arms. The Mets had exactly that. This time, the spotlight belonged to the opener, Griffin Canning, who commanded the mound with a masterclass in precision. With nothing else to do but surrender to the Mets’ spectacular pitching, Dave Roberts couldn’t help but praise them for it.
When asked about the Mets’ pitching performance after the game, Roberts admitted: “So you’ve got to go into whether, you know, hunt different pitches or shift the field, whatever kind of language that resonates with the hitter. But the honest truth is that these guys have pitched us really well,” he told reporters. And that’s exactly what Canning did, changing his approach to stay one step ahead to keep the pitchers off balance. And it worked out way too well on Ohtani.
Canning had studied Ohtani closely during their time together with the Angels, giving him a crucial edge when facing the star slugger. Every player comes up with their own plans, and he knew the key was to mix up pitches when dealing with Ohtani. And it paid off in the 5th inning when he struck out Ohtani with a deceptive changeup. “I don’t want to give in. He put a good swing on a fastball earlier in the game… just kind of showed him something different with the change-up 3-2,” Canning told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. And in a stunning move, he casually blew a bubble right after striking out Ohtani, as simple as that.
Aug 31, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
The right-handed starter allowed no runs and just three hits in six innings, adding seven strikeouts. Before he threw that tricky changeup that fooled the reigning NL MVP, Ohtani had every chance to turn the game around. Currently hitting .292 with 23 home runs and 39 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.038, Ohtani is actively aiming for a comeback as a pitcher, too. But returning as a two-way phenom isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially with warnings coming in from all sides.
Shohei Ohtani’s pitching return sparks new concerns
Ohtani is yet to pitch in a Dodgers uniform. Luckily, he is expected to return to the mound this season. But given his complete and safe recovery timeline, it’s now projected to happen only after the All-Star break. However, not everyone is on board with the idea and Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez was especially blunt in his criticism.
“It’s a tough decision for me. In 2023, Ohtani had the best repertoire of any pitcher in the game. But if Ohtani gets hurt and makes it 15 pitchers on the IL for the Dodgers, the season is over. For me, the risk-reward is not there.” A-Rod was brutally honest about why letting Ohtani pitch could be a risky move. After two Tommy John surgeries, a third could cost the Dodgers more than just a pitching arm. But other legends, Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz, had a different take.
“I would love to see Ohtani as a closer in the World Series,” said Martinez. Ortiz agreed, saying he’d love to see Ohtani as a full-time relief pitcher. That could be the perfect way to utilize the two-way phenom’s talent. But imagine this: if Ohtani ends up on that long list of 15 injured pitchers, it could quickly become a nightmare for the Dodgers. They have a crucial decision to make: take the gamble or play it safe.
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