Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani talks to the media in New York on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, prior to Game 3 of the baseball NL Championship Series against the New York Mets.
12:40 JST, October 16, 2024
NEW YORK (AP) — It all starts with Shohei Ohtani and Francisco Lindor in this National League Championship Series.
Right at the top of the line-up.
Both leadoff hitters, who are expected to go 1-2 in NL MVP voting, made a big impact early in their playoff showdown between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.
And they know full well that only one of them will reach the World Series.
“I think we’re both in a position where what we did in the regular season is over and what matters is how we produce, what we produce in the postseason,” Ohtani said through an interpreter on Tuesday. “I think maybe we are connected in the same sense.”
With the best-of-seven series tied at 1, the scene shifts to Citi Field on Wednesday night for Game 3, when Walker Buehler is scheduled to face Los Angeles against Luis Severino.
After the Mets held an informal workout in the late afternoon, Ohtani and the Dodgers took batting practice under the baseball lights on Tuesday evening.
Ohtani said his impression of Lindor “is that he’s a really good guy. He laughs a lot. I have the feeling that he is also leading the club.”
Lindor was asked what he most admires about his ultra-talented Dodgers counterpart.
“I admire his shoes. He has cool shoes,” the Mets shortstop said, making reporters in the interview room laugh.
“I admire the ability to stay true to oneself. I mean, he’s a guy who’s had a lot of pressure on him from day one. There are a lot of eyes and cameras on him, and his ability to stay within himself and not get too big and stay the course, I think is brilliant. He’s done a fantastic job wherever he’s been, he’s managed to maneuver himself in the right way.”
All of these qualities were on display as the teams split the first two games at Dodger Stadium.
Ohtani, who was largely held in check in his first postseason this month, had an RBI single early in the series opener and blasted another single off the right-center fence, leading to two more runs. He also walked and scored twice as Los Angeles rolled to a 9-0 loss.
Lindor, who went 0 for 3 with a walk in Game 1, had an immediate turn the next day when he launched a leadoff homer to cap an eight-pitch at-bat after fouling out four straight offerings from Ryan Brasier.
The drive ended a 33-inning scoreless streak for Dodgers pitchers, tying a postseason record.
An inning later, Los Angeles intentionally walked Lindor to load the bases for Mark Vientos, who hit a grand slam that gave the Mets a 6-0 lead en route to a 7-3 victory in Game 2.
This brought New York right back into the series.
“I just like to get things going,” Lindor said. “You just get the crowd and the team talking.”
Ohtani has also taken on his leadership role, which used to be an unusual place to put such a powerful hitter.
But not anymore.
“I think we can take complete comfort in knowing that giving our best hitter five cracks is an immediate attack, and also in the belief that the guys at the bottom of the order can cause some chaos and get on base. And I thought we did that really well in Game 1,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“Just give him chances. … I can’t predict the game. So I feel good about what I can predict: Shohei hitting 1 and getting the most of the at-bats out of our offense.
Chill out
Los Angeles Dodgers players throw during a practice Tuesday, October 15, 2024, in New York prior to Game 3 of the baseball NL Championship Series against the New York Mets.
Temperatures at the first pitch are expected to reach just above 50 degrees and drop Wednesday evening. It was a pleasant 73 degrees for each of the first two games in Los Angeles.
“Obviously the East Coast/West Coast, LA/New York thing is pretty cool. I imagine it’s going to be great here tomorrow. That’s what excites me more than anything: the noise and the excitement. And the kind of live-or-die feeling on every field is something I’ve really come to love,” Buehler said.
“Personally, I like pitching in the cold. I don’t know why or how. When I was in college (at Vanderbilt), I think I had my first ten starts that were below 30 degrees for a year. So something I’m used to, or at least was used to.”
Start me up
Buehler went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts this season after missing 2023 following his second Tommy John surgery. He took the loss in Game 3 of the Division Series in San Diego, but gave up all six runs in one inning and was a bit unhappy in that outing.
“I have confidence in it. So I think for a long time, my confidence was probably one of my biggest strengths, I think,” Buehler said. “This year it was a bit shaky at times. The last six or eight (starts) I’ve felt like I’ve been building blocks of some sort. And I hope it stays that way.”
Severino is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two playoff starts after going 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA during his first season with the Mets. He threw 194 innings this year, including the postseason, and will pitch on nine days’ rest.
“I think my arm feels the same right now, feels good. I just have to stick to my routine,” Severino said.
The right-hander said he would go back and watch Padres pitcher Yu Darvish have success against Ohtani during their Division Series.
“He’s been a great pitcher. There are some guys that have history with him,” Roberts said. “We will be ready for whatever he has planned for us.”
Injury update
Roberts said second baseman Gavin Lux was feeling much better and is expected back in the lineup Wednesday night. Lux missed Game 2 due to a right hip flexor injury that forced him out of the series opener in the seventh inning.
