A Year After His Historic October, Shohei Ohtani Is Nowhere to Be Found
Sports Illustrated • • sports
Key Points:
- The Milwaukee Brewers, with a payroll less than half of the Dodgers', lead the National League Championship Series 2-0 after outplaying Los Angeles through 18 innings.
- Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers' star and four-time MVP, has struggled significantly, going 1-for-7 with three strikeouts in the series and posting a .150/.261/.150 slash line in six postseason games.
- Ohtani's recent slump contrasts sharply with his dominant 2025 postseason performance, where he excelled both on the mound and at the plate, helping the Dodgers win the World Series.
- The Dodgers' offense has been stifled, hitting just .169/.261/.186 with only one extra-base hit in two games, while the Brewers' bullpen has been exceptional, throwing 9⅔ shutout innings with 15 strikeouts.
- Facing a daunting deficit, the Dodgers return home with pressing questions as they try to avoid an early exit in a season expected to end with a championship.
