MVP Ohtani leads Dodgers to second World Series in a row!
Shohei Ohtani shone on the mound and with the bat, he is the NLCS MVP and Los Angeles will defend the crown in the Fall Classic against the winner of the Blue Jays and Mariners
LOS ANGELES — The Japanese “giant” Shohei Ohtani woke up already to Los Angeles Dodgers officially from both sides of the pitch and he did so by taking the prize of Most Valuable Player in the National League Championship Series.
Ohtani hit three monster home runs, including his first in the opening inning, as the Dodgers took the lead and never looked back in a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers to advance to their second consecutive World Series.
On the mound, Ohtani also destroyed the Brewers: six innings of two-hit ball to finish off Milwaukee, the team that achieved the most victories in the Major League regular season, and that in the National League Championship Series, practically did not even get involved.
In fact, Ohtani reached the seventh inning with only one hit and two walks, before walking, accepting another hit and being removed, to remain in the game only as a designated hitter.
“Every time Ohtani goes out to pitch I expect a perfect game,” Kiké Hernández said before the game. “Today, if he gives us six or seven innings at his level… that gives us a chance to win. The batters have to take care of the rest.”
Ohtani opened Game Four with a walk, but struck out the next three batters of the first inning he faced. He took the bat before any other Dodger and put his first shot over the fence.
In that first inning, the Dodgers scored two more runs when Milwaukee starter José Quintana had only one out.
Quintana was never able to stop the Dodgers’ hitting in the six innings he pitched. In reality, no one could stop Ohtani’s execution. The second time he stepped up to the plate he walked and in his second official at-bat he hit it out of the park again.
Milwaukee never lived up to expectations against the Dodgers, whom they defeated all six times they faced in the regular season, when they never faced starters Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Ohtani, who were rehabilitating their respective injuries.
Between the three starters who did not face in the regular season, they pitched 19.2 innings, only allowing four runs and striking out 26 Brewers in this Championship Series. The fourth, Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a complete game, struck out seven and only allowed one run…
“Our pitching has given us a chance to win every game,” catcher Will Smith said. “When they are like this there is confidence, everything is much easier.”
They kept the first three games of the series close, as much as they could. Of the four games in the series, three were bullpen games and the first three were competitive until the end.
The fourth, second at Dodger Stadium, was never within reach of the Brewers, who were once again left with the desire to transcend the playoffs and reach the second World Series in their history.
The Dodgers are the first reigning National League champion team to repeat in the World Series since 2009 and still have hopes of being the first two-time Major League champion since 2000.
The Fall Classic begins on Friday, October 24 against the team that wins the American League Championship Series between the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays.
