NEW YORK – Despite much better numbers with men on the starting lineup this postseason, Shohei Ohtani will not be moved down the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, manager said Dave Roberts Tuesday.

Ohtani is 0-for-19 with the bases empty, but 6-for-8 with men on while batting leadoff during the playoffs.

“It’s just funny how things change, when there was a lot of concern about Shohei not being able to get hits with the runners in scoring position – and now we’re all trying to find ways… to get guys on base like that. He can hit, right?” said Roberts. “I find that a bit comical.”

Neither Roberts nor Ohtani thinks there’s much to the slugger’s splits at the plate, other than maybe he’s chasing pitches a little more here and there, especially against good lefties like Sean Manaea of ​​the Mets and Tanner Scott of the Padres. Roberts also acknowledged that his leadoff man made some bad swings against San Diego right-hander Yu Darvish in the NL Division Series.

“I was surprised with Darvish,” Roberts said. “I was surprised he extended himself against Darvish.”

Ohtani added through the team interpreter: “Regardless of how they pitch to me, my plan is to stick with the same approach as much as possible and not really be too focused on how they attack me. … If I’m If I’m feeling good feel and the results are not there, then I don’t worry too much, because there is luck involved.”

According to ESPN Research, Ohtani’s chase percentage is up only slightly from the regular season (26.6%) to the postseason (27.1%).

He went 2-for-4 in the Dodgers’ 9-0 Game 1 win, but 0-for-3 in the 7-3 Game 2 loss. Overall, he is 6-for-27 (.222) with five walks in the first postseason appearance of his career. During the regular season, Ohtani hit .308 with men on and .311 with the bases empty.

Ohtani said he feels good at the plate for the most part, but every now and then a “reset” is in order.

“If there’s a situation where I’m not feeling good at the plate and it’s not going well, or it’s not leading to good results, then it’s something I look at to make sure physically and mechanically that that’s all .” refined,” he said. “I feel good at the plate. I feel like I should think back to times when I felt good and maybe incorporate that into that.”

Roberts is confident Ohtani will find his groove again once Game 3 takes place on Wednesday at Citi Field.

“I think it’s isolated,” he said. “There have been times when he has had to reset, as all hitters do. Sometimes certain pitchers create bad habits. And you have to identify that and then reset. … But to think I’m going to do that.” Moving Shohei to the 4 or the 3, that’s just not going to happen.”

Ohtani reached the leadoff mark in 90 games this season and was second in 69 – the only two positions in the order in which he scored this year.

Roberts also indicated that he expects first baseman Freddie Freeman to play on Wednesday, as he did in the first two games, as he continues to deal with an ankle injury.

“It’s a daily conversation,” Roberts said, while acknowledging that New York’s colder weather isn’t helping Freeman’s ankle. “I just can’t see any world where he doesn’t start a playoff game in the NLCS. But again, if he can’t do it, that’s telling.”