Shohei Ohtani just unleashed a 428-foot, three-run missile to put the Los Angeles Dodgers up 4-0 in a crucial Game 4 of the NLCS. This is it for the Dodgers, folks. They walked into Thursday’s game down 3-0 to the Milwaukee Brewers, making it a “win or go home” situation. Dave Roberts, the two-time defending World Series champion manager, clearly felt the pressure and played a massive hunch, bumping Ohtani back into the leadoff spot despite him not having homered since August 18. Well, that hunch just paid off in the biggest way possible.
Ohtani Explodes, Pages Delivers
That Ohtani blast wasn’t just big, it was a statement. The ball came off the bat at 113.1 mph and traveled 428 feet, giving the Dodgers a crucial cushion. It was easily Ohtani’s biggest swing in months, and exactly what LA needed to kickstart their do-or-die effort. Before Ohtani’s heroics, Andy Pages got the Dodgers on the board with a leadoff hit that made it 1-0. Pages has been quietly consistent, already racking up six hits in this postseason after having four in the entire 2025 postseason. Max Muncy struck out earlier in the inning, filling in for Miguel Rojas, so that Pages hit felt even bigger at the time.
Glasnow Deals, Drohan Struggles
On the mound, Tyler Glasnow was absolutely locked in early for the Dodgers. He cruised through two innings, going six up, six down, and dealing four strikeouts in a row. His hammer curveball was nasty, and his fastball was sitting at 96.4 mph, nearly a full mph faster than his regular season average. The Dodgers are going to need every single one of those zeroes from him if they want to stay alive. On the flip side, Brewers pitcher Shane Drohan had a rough outing. He got chased from the game after giving up a leadoff single to Kyle Tucker in the bottom of the second. Drohan simply wasn’t effective, leaving the game with a hit and two walks on his line from just one inning of work. He struggled with his command after striking out Ohtani earlier, throwing only 10 of 22 pitches for strikes, but did get a huge double play with Will Smith running to escape further damage. Dustin May came on in relief to face three straight righties. Even Mookie Betts got in on the action early with a “Pinball Wizard” play for the first out, as Enrique Hernández got the start at third base over Max Muncy for the right-on-left matchup against Drohan.
The Dodgers need to keep hitting, because the Brewers, despite striking out 10 more times in this series, have been just fine. Dave Roberts’ decision to move Ohtani back to leadoff had that definite “hunch” vibe, but you can’t argue with results. Roberts knows a thing or two about 3-0 series comebacks; he was part of the 2004 Red Sox team that famously came back against the Yankees, even stealing a base that turned the tide. Legends David Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez, and Derek Jeter were all there to talk about that historic comeback, and you know the Dodgers are looking at that lone exception in the record books for inspiration. This game is far from over, but with that Ohtani blast, the Dodgers have bought themselves a fighting chance, at least for tonight. Let’s see if they can keep that momentum rolling and extend this series.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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