The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a deep hole, down two games to start the National League Championship Series for the first time in five years, and their offense is showing almost no fight. Game 2 might have been an exhilarating back and forth battle, but it wasn’t enough to stop the bleeding as the series heads back to their home turf in Los Angeles.
Pitching Staff in Crisis Mode
Their supposed ace duo, Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, combined for just 7 2/3 innings on the mound, surrendering five earned runs. Now, the Dodgers are staring down the barrel, relying on Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow to keep their “three-peat” hopes alive. Snell, in particular, was shaky at best in his most recent outing against the Atlanta Braves, tossing 90 pitches over just 3 2/3 innings. The dude has pedigree from previous postseason performances, but his focus is entirely on the here and now. “I don’t think about last year because it has nothing to do with this year,” Snell told Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. “It’s a completely different team. … This game and what it means to me, it hasn’t changed, 0-2, 2-0, it wouldn’t matter. I know what I need to do. I know what I need to do to win and dominate. I’m going to just focus on that.” He’s even been scoping out the Brewers’ dugout for clues. “I noticed how they talk, a lot of one-on-one competition is a key for them. The way Pat Murphy talks to the team is way different than last year,” Snell said to Thomas L. Murray of the California Post. “So I understand that.”
Ohtani’s Nightmare Postseason Has Fans Losing It
But the biggest shocker might be Shohei Ohtani, who’s enduring a nightmare of a postseason so far. He’s been batting as low as fifth in the lineup, struggling to a brutal .150/.261/.150 slash line over six games. This slump is so bad that Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times went as far as to suggest in his latest column that Ohtani be completely removed from the lineup. Can you believe it? The guy’s usually a god, and now writers are calling for him to sit.
What’s next for the Dodgers? Snell is set to take the mound on Wednesday, and it’s do or die. Their entire season, and those “three-peat” dreams, are on the line. They need some magic, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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