By Rory Carroll
(Reuters) -Shohei Ohtani dug deep after falling behind early in his first postseason start as a pitcher to earn the win against the Phillies, and the effort may have dulled his bat, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Sunday.
Ohtani uncharacteristically allowed three runs on the mound and struck out four times, but Los Angeles rallied to beat Philadelphia 5-3 in Game One of the best-of-five NL Division Series.
“On days that Shohei pitches, a large amount of the focus is on the pitching,” Roberts told reporters.
“But last night in particular… trying to weather that three-run inning and stay in there on the pitching side I’m sure had some kind of bleed-in effect on the bat.
“But (Phillies starter Cristopher) Sanchez was really good regardless.”
The Japanese right-hander ran into trouble in the second inning, where he allowed three runs but regrouped, striking out nine batters across six innings to earn the win.
Roberts said he was impressed with Ohtani’s command and variety against a fearsome Phillies lineup that boasts Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper at the top of the order.
“I thought Shohei did a fantastic job of moving the ball around,” Roberts said.
“You’ve got to change locations. His curveball was as good as I’ve seen it, but you have to have those guys honor the fastball.
“They hunt locations, they hunt velocities, and you have to keep them guessing. You can’t be predictable.”
What is predictable is Ohtani walking away with his fourth MVP award this season due to his dominance at the plate and on the mound.
The 31-year-old hit .282 with 55 home runs and 102 RBI in his second season with the defending World Series champion Dodgers.
As a pitcher, he posted a 2.87 ERA while striking out 62 batters across 47 innings in limited action as he worked his way back from elbow surgery.
Los Angeles will send Blake Snell to the mound for Game Two on Monday at Philadelphia’s rowdy Citizens Bank Park, while the Phillies will counter with fellow left-hander Jesus Luzardo.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in San Francisco; Editing by Jamie Freed)
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