With the season hanging in the balance, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is making bold moves.
Shohei Ohtani has been elevated to the leadoff position, and although that may have been routine a few months back, it is now an entirely different scenario.
Ohtani appears to be struggling at the plate, and the Dodgers require their leadoff hitter to get on base, which is something he has not managed to do consistently during this postseason.
With Game 4 of the National League Championship Series just around the corner, the Dodgers have announced their complete lineup, showcasing several significant changes beyond just Ohtani jumping from sixth to first.
1. Shohei Ohtani, DH
2. Mookie Betts, SS
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Will Smith, C
5. Kyle Tucker, RF
6. Teoscar Hernandez, LF
7. Miguel Rojas, 2B
8. Andy Pages, CF
9. Kike Hernandez, 3B
Examining this Dodgers lineup, there is only one player who has a postseason batting average exceeding .250.
Ohtani has managed only two hits in the series, and while he has walked twice, it will be intriguing to see how he performs against left-handed pitcher Shane Drohan of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Drohan is anticipated to serve as an opener, and while Game 4 could resemble a somewhat conventional bullpen game for manager Pat Murphy’s team, it’s plausible that they might allow Drohan to pitch for two or three innings.
Indeed, Ohtani is accustomed to leading off; however, can one justify inserting him in that role given the critical nature of this game?
The Dodgers face a must-win situation as they confront an alarming 3-0 deficit in the NLCS.
Kyle Tucker took the cleanup position in Game 3. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, but that wasn’t sufficient to keep him in that role for Game 4.
Will Smith, who broke his lengthy slump with an RBI double on Wednesday, Oct. 14, is now batting fourth once more.
These are significant gambles for Roberts, particularly since Smith registered only the singular big hit, which ultimately had little bearing on the outcome.
There won’t be much scrutiny regarding his decisions at the bottom of the lineup, yet it will be fascinating to observe how long Drohan remains in the game and how that influences Roberts’ strategy once the Dodgers face the Brewers’ bullpen.
