For the first time ever Monday night, in Game 2 of the NLCS, the big-market Los Angeles Dodgers used “Small Ball” to generate a run against the Milwaukee Brewers. That’s how desperate things are starting to look for the twice-reigning world champions.
It wasn’t literally the first time the Dodgers went small of course, but the rare offensive manufacturing did not help them beat the Brewers to even the best-of-seven series. Milwaukee held serve, winning 7-4, with Game 3 coming Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers likely lost because they could not hit any home runs for the second straight game. Tell ya what: The Dodgers suddenly deciding to defer homers to 2040 could turn out to be a bridge too far with that particular market inefficiency.
Only six teams hit more home runs than the Dodgers during the regular season, and currently they lead the postseason with eight, though all came against the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS to this point. None lately, though, and they’re talking about taking a radical step with their lineup to do something about it.
They might bench Shohei Ohtani in Game 3.
Gasp. But they should. The Dodgers’ two-way superstar is neither healthy nor effective at both ends of the ballplayer spectrum. He hasn’t pitched in a game since July, and he’s 14-for-90 with one homer at the plate since Aug. 19. Dropping him in the order to fourth, fifth, or even ninth won’t cut it.
He’s trying to turn himself into a slap hitter at the plate just so he can provide something — and he did hit a bloop single in Game 1 — but whatever Ohtani is doing right now is closer to slapstick.
This is what Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said to The Athletic:
“He doesn’t feel great. I think for me, it’s having a conversation with him tomorrow, kind of try to figure out what’s best for him, what’s best for us. He certainly has earned that conversation and deserves it.
“I’ll have (that conversation) with him tomorrow.”
Subbing out Ohtani for rookie slugger Josue De Paula would be the right move, though DH is not the only spot in the order that needs to get swinging. What about trying some other methods — like more Small Ball? Probably not, Roberts said, because the Dodgers lack the right kind of personnel to execute hit-and-runs. That’s too bad, because it was kind of scary to see the Dodgers work small in the first inning of Game 2.
• Leadoff walk — Mookie Betts
• Weak grounder to the right side (productive out!) — Freddie Freeman
• Wild pitch — Logan Henderson
• Sacrifice fly (now you’re cooking with gas) — Teoscar Hernandez
Copycats much?
It was as if the Brewers had left their playbook aboard the team bus, an unscrupulous driver found it, delivered it to Roberts, who passed it to President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman. Then he gave it to CEO Stan Kasten to run to FedEx to scan copies for Friedman to use AI to read the playbook for suggestions.
Particularly clever: waiting for Henderson to make two throwing errors to first base.
It was a complete poaching of Milwaukee’s supposed Small-Ball modus operandi. And it wasn’t nearly enough.
The Brewers have been sneaky sons of guns this postseason by hitting home runs. Five, in fact, including two in the NLCS so far. Their lineup had answers of all sizes in Game 2 for right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Dodgers not having use of their best player, and having already used their best pitcher without success, seem like bad signs for the rest of their season.
Small ball, big ball. The Dodgers need to find some kind of ball that works in Game 3, or somebody else will be hosting MLB’s championship ball after the World Series.
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