close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

Dodgers NLCS Game 3: Shohei Ohtani, Kiké Hernández, Walker Buehler
news

Dodgers NLCS Game 3: Shohei Ohtani, Kiké Hernández, Walker Buehler

Postseason baseball is a busy time with different people writing about different aspects of each game. So here’s more footage from the Dodgers’ 8-0 win over the Mets in Game 3 of the NLCS.

Shohei Ohtani, who enjoyed the boos from Citi Field during pregame introductionshit a home run in the eighth inning in his first at bat with runners on base. That continued his bizarre splits this postseason, with no hits in 22 at-bats with the bases empty, but seven hits in nine at-bats. The Dodgers rightly view this as an anomaly and have no plans to change the batting order or anything.

From Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post, here’s Mookie Betts on Ohtani:

“I don’t know why people – I have no idea why people talk about Shohei. He is the best player on the field. Every day,” said Betts, who has sometimes credibly claimed that title in his career. ‘You don’t have to worry about him. “Oh, he didn’t get a hit when no one was there? Who cares? He is Shohei Ohtani. ”


Kiké Hernández didn’t start until Game 4 of the NLDS, but has reached base in each of his five starts since then. He has two hits in three of his five starts, including a home run and a single in Game 3. He is now one of six Dodgers with double-digit home runs in the postseason.

Dave Roberts called Hernández’s home run, which extended their lead from two to four runs, “the biggest hit of the game,” according to Mike DiGiovanna in the Los Angeles Times.

Hernández didn’t start until October when Miguel Rojas re-aggravated his torn adductor muscle, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted “the one-for-all, all-for-one ethos of the 2024 Dodgers,” that it was Rojas who helped Mookie Betts adjusted to shortstop late in spring training when Gavin Lux was moved to second base, then reassigned himself at shortstop when Betts returned to right field once he returned from the injured list.


Walker Buehler’s four scoreless innings were in many ways reminiscent of the great pitcher of old, prior to his second Tommy John surgery.

From Jake Mintz of Yahoo Sports:

“I don’t trust anyone more than Walker,” longtime Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes told Yahoo Sports after the game. “His ability to, you know, live in those moments. Many people can’t do that. Since I’ve been here he’s played a lot of big games for us. And no matter what happens at the beginning of the season or how he feels, I trust he will go out and compete.”

But his approach in certain situations also showed Buehler’s willingness to adapt. The old Buehler would have leaned his fastball toward Francisco Lindor to avoid the jam in the second inning, but Game 3 was different.

From Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic:

Buehler didn’t fall back into old habits. Roberts, standing from the dugout, suspected a curveball might get Lindor out. Will Smith, behind the board, felt the same way.

“Just keep doing what worked,” Smith said. Buehler’s curveball had some of his best moves all season.

Bühler did not tremble. The man who once fired five consecutive two-strike fastballs at Eddie Rosario in a postseason game wasn’t trying to overpower New York’s superstar with speed. Instead, Buehler threw another two-strike breaking ball, one that broke over the heart of the plate.

“I don’t think anyone out there expected Walker to throw that pitch in that situation and that’s why Walker did it,” Max Muncy said.