This year it would be different.

This year it would be about winning a postseason series.

This year would be the year that baseball’s best player secured it.

Or not.

Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers are on the brink of elimination in the National League Division Series. The San Diego Padres defeated the Dodgers 6-5 on Tuesday, so the Dodgers will either win two games in a row or lose in their first round match for the third straight season.

Read more: Plaschke: It’s happening again. Dodgers are on the verge of another ugly encore in October

Ten years ago, baseball’s best player led a Southern California team to the playoffs. He would be unanimously voted the most valuable player in his league.

He was Mike Trout and his Angels would be eliminated in the first round. In his postseason debut, Trout had one hit in three games – a home run – in 12 at-bats. He reached base four times.

Ohtani should be unanimously voted his league’s most valuable player.

In his postseason debut, however, Ohtani had three hits – including one home run – in 13 at-bats. He reached base three times.

He has struck out six times, the most of anyone in the series and twice as often as anyone on the Padres. After stealing 59 bases in the regular season, Ohtani has not stolen a base in the postseason.

Summer performance doesn’t guarantee anything in October. Take Aaron Judge, the likely MVP of the American League. Judge is one to seven in October. In his previous postseason series, the 2022 AL Championship Series, he went one for 16.

Fair or not, expectations are higher when your team rewards you with a $700 million contract.

When Dodgers owner Mark Walter recruited Ohtani, Walter told him he considered the past decade a failure. Every year in the past decade has included a postseason appearance, but only one year ended in a championship.

The underlying message to Ohtani: we want to change this, and we need you to do it.

The Padres have two chances to close out the Dodgers’ season this week. If they do, the Dodgers would get no further than last year, when the Angels hired Ohtani.

Read more: Dodgers can’t overcome disastrous inning in NLDS Game 3 loss to Padres

Doomsday feeling? Not for Ohtani.

“We just have to win two games in a row,” he said. “I don’t really feel like there’s no tomorrow. We win two games and things are going well.”

On Tuesday, Ohtani struckout twice, flied out and hit a broken-bat single. Of his four at-bats, three came with the bases empty, giving him minimal opportunity to do maximum damage.

“I think the moment certainly won’t be too big for him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think they’re making some good pitches. He obviously had a good Game 1 and was kept somewhat at bay (since then), but still threw a knockout punch tonight.

“So yeah, I think he’s still in a good place. He will be willing to make a mistake. And I still feel good that Shohei will be there tomorrow to do good things.”

Freddie Freeman shook his head. He understands what fans can expect from Ohtani, but he also understands the reality of October.

“He’s had a good run so far,” Freeman said. “I know everyone wants us to hit .400. We’re facing ones and twos and great bullpens. We put together some good at bats.”

The Padres’ bullpen, significantly upgraded by general manager AJ Preller at the trade deadline, is averaging 1.69 in this series.

Left-hander Tanner Scott, the top reliever traded at the deadline, has faced Ohtani three times in this series, once in each game. Scott knocked out Ohtani all three times.

“Obviously he’s a great pitcher,” Ohtani said. “I think it’s important on this side to have a solid approach and be in good shape in the batter’s box.”

In his at-bat against Scott on Tuesday, which represented the tying run, Ohtani took a slider for a called third strike.

“It was good pitching and it would have been good to at least make a mistake on the ball,” Ohtani said. “But the fastball before that was hitable, so it would have been good if I hit it.”

Of course, this isn’t just about Ohtani. The Dodgers are hitting .216 in the series. Their starting pitchers have an average of 10.13 points.

But Ohtani led the NL in on-base percentage this season. However, of the nine regulars in the Dodgers’ lineup, Max Muncy is the only one with a lower on-base percentage than Ohtani.

Whether you prefer to call Ohtani the main man or the $700 million man, that just doesn’t cut it.

Read more: Shaikin: How ‘Beat LA’ became entrenched in the Dodgers-Padres rivalry lexicon

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.