Blue Jays Will Not Pitch To Devastating Shohei Ohtani For Rest Of World Series

After watching Shohei Ohtani baffle their pitching unit during Game 3 of nan World Series, nan Toronto Blue Jays person made a bold decision: they are done pitching to baseball’s biggest star.

Blue Jays head John Schneider did not mince his words aft nan Dodgers prevailed 6-5 connected Monday successful an 18-inning classical during which Ohtani smacked 2 doubles and 2 location runs successful his first 4 at-bats earlier Toronto fundamentally stopped trying to get him out.

“He had a awesome game, he’s a awesome player, but I deliberation aft that, you conscionable benignant of return nan bat retired of his hands,” Schneider said aft nan Dodgers took a 2-1 lead successful nan best-of-seven Fall Classic which resumes connected Tuesday successful Los Angeles.

When asked if stepping Ohtani for nan remainder of nan World Series would beryllium nan plan, Schneider’s consequence was blunt: “Yeah.”

That strategy played retired successful existent clip during Game 3, which tied for nan longest postseason crippled by innings and is besides nan second-longest postseason crippled by clip aft lasting six hours and 39 minutes.

When Ohtani deed a game-tying homer successful nan seventh, nan Blue Jays intentionally walked him 4 times and unintentionally erstwhile more. The connection was clear: transportation astir nan superstar astatine each costs.

“His capacity was really good. He’s arguably nan champion subordinate connected nan planet,” said Schneider.

By nan clip Game 3 ended, Ohtani had go nan first subordinate to scope guidelines 9 times successful a postseason game, surpassing nan erstwhile people by three. Ohtani besides became nan first subordinate successful postseason history pinch aggregate location runs, aggregate doubles and aggregate walks successful a azygous game.

Dodgers head Dave Roberts praised nan Blue Jays’ tactical decision, calling Ohtani “the champion subordinate connected nan planet” and noting that Schneider “smelled that and wasn’t going to fto Shohei hit him astatine all.”

“You conscionable don’t spot that type of behaviour from opposing managers and that’s conscionable nan eventual motion of respect,” said Roberts, highlighting nan bonzer lengths to which teams will spell successful bid to neutralize baseball’s astir ascendant force.

But nan Jays’ Ohtani strategy comes pinch a built-in problem – nan loaded Dodgers lineup that follows him. Even aft intentionally stepping Ohtani, who is nan first subordinate pinch 3 multi-homer games successful a azygous postseason, nan Blue Jays instantly look 2 erstwhile MVPs, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. It was Freeman, aft all, who ended Game 3 pinch a location tally successful nan 18th inning, marking nan first walk-off triumph successful nan World Series since his expansive slam ended Game 1 of past year’s Fall Classic.

“There’s definite times wherever I consciousness for illustration you consciousness amended astir personification other beating you,” said Schneider. “If that personification other is Mookie Betts aliases Freddie Freeman it still stings. But [Ohtani] had a awesome crippled and we’re conscionable going to effort to proceed to execute.”

The Blue Jays will beryllium incapable to debar Ohtani successful Game 4 arsenic he is group to make his World Series pitching debut, successful which he will effort to put nan Dodgers connected nan brink of a repetition title.

“He’s spent. He was connected guidelines eight, 9 times tonight, moving nan bases,” said Roberts. “He’s elated. But, yeah, he’s taking nan mound tomorrow. He’ll beryllium ready.”

It will beryllium Ohtani’s first pitching commencement since he threw six scoreless innings, struck retired 10 batters and deed 3 location runs successful nan clinching crippled of nan National League Championship Series 11 days ago, in a performance that near nan sporting world successful awe.