By Rory Carroll
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers enter a star-studded World Series match-up against Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees hoping to consign their postseason demons to the past.
After winning the title in 2020 for a championship some argue did not mean as much because it came at the end of a COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 60-game season, the Dodgers won 100 or more games in each of the next three seasons.
However, they walked away emptyhanded each time, failing to win the National League pennant over that span despite their regular season dominance.
That led the team’s owners to go even further into ‘win-now mode’, culminating with the signing of Ohtani, the Japanese sensation who smashed 54 home runs and stole 59 bases this season to become the first member of MLB’s 50/50 club.
Ohtani is the leadoff hitter for a lineup that includes former MVPs Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, who both struggled in the last postseason en route to being swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL Division Series.
This time around Freeman has been hobbled by a right ankle sprain he suffered late last month and has missed three of the Dodgers 11 postseason games.
Although he has struggled at the plate recently, going seven-for-32 without an extra base hit, he said he would be in the lineup for Game One of the World Series.
“I think with this time off, it’s going to be a 100% go for me in Game One and we’ll adjust off of that after Game One,” Freeman said, according to MLB.com.
“But I don’t think there’s any question in anybody’s mind that I will be in the lineup for Game One.”
The Dodgers lineup should have the firepower to match that of the Bronx Bombers, and their hitters’ remarkable plate discipline could put stress on Yankees pitchers.
The Dodgers’ injury-hit starting rotation is a problem, however, and they will look to get quality starts from aces Jack Flaherty in Game One and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game Two.
Flaherty and Yamamoto have been good at times but have also been roughed up in starts this postseason, with Flaherty giving up eight earned runs in three innings in his last start against the New York Mets.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed confidence in Southern California native Flaherty.
“Obviously Jack has been really good for us, that last start withstanding,” Roberts said.
“We got through it, we weathered it and I think he’s healthy now and he’ll spit out a good one.”
The 120th edition of the best-of-seven Fall Classic kicks off Friday in Los Angeles.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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