LOS ANGELES – Even rare air does not cover it. It doesn't do him any justice. He cannot determine what the Universe observed. Shohei Ohtani on the greatest stage of one of the greatest markets. His presence is impressive. Wayward. Games rely only on his strength. Gravity is a force that no person can overcome. But Ohtani makes it feel optional.
It's impossible to forget. Not when the status continues to rise. Not when the stakes are rising and so is the player. All of his hits in the exciting and ridiculous third game of the World Series against Blue Jays were reminders of what his scene demands. Freddie Freeman launched a homer in the 18th inning. But it was Ohtani's performance in Monday's 6-5 victory at Dodger Stadium, a 399-minute game that was the second-longest World Series game of all time.
“He’s the best player on the planet,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider held up four fingers from the first-base dugout after seeing Ohtani do it again. And again.
He was 4 for 4 at that point. Two homers and two doubles. He was the first player in postseason history to hit multiple home runs, multiple doubles and multiple walks in a single game..
“Every game is different,” Schneider said. “Every pitcher is unique. This guy is a great player. There are times when you feel better when someone else hits you. Mookie Betts or Freddie Freeman, it still hurts. But he played a great game and we will try to continue to show results.”
The swing became longer than everyone else's. My legs became heavier. The assistants turned to the starters, and the starters turned to second thoughts. Each side was hungry for a mistake from their opponents as well as a victory for their club in a game that started a little after 17:00 local time and lasted until almost midnight.
Ohtani was the reason his club finished in first place, reaching base nine times, the most in an entire playoff game. In his 17th inning, the final game of the night, Schneider visited the mound to chat with Brandon Little. “We tried to get around him,” Schneider said.
This time they served him the ball… and took him to four pitches.
Ohtani started first with a double. Max Scherzer. Remember him? Scherzer pitched just 4⅓ innings. In the third, Ohtani caught him again, starting a fastball at the plate and yanking it to the right for a single.
Then, in the seventh, he showed the entire field against Seranthony Dominguez with a game-tying home run.
Every time the Blue Jays responded—as they always do—Ohtani made sure his answer was louder. That's when Schneider had enough.
“He was in for a huge offensive night and John sensed it and wasn't going to let Shohei beat him at all,” Roberts said. “Obviously, even when no one is on base putting him on to force the other guys to beat him. Respect that and fortunately we have other guys behind Shohei who can still do some things and, yes, I mean play hard.”
A hard-fought game made possible by Ohtani's heroics. He has proven time and time again that he is not in this class. Not from this game that can cause others to collapse. It rewrites its limits. Its limits.
His next assignment? Ohtani will be the Dodgers' starting pitcher in Game 4. He will throw out his first pitch 17 hours and 20 minutes after the end of Game 3. He has a chance to give his team a 3-1 lead, save a bullpen that desperately needs a break and put the Dodgers on the brink of becoming baseball's first repeat champion in a quarter century.
“He’s a unicorn,” Freeman said. “There are no more adjectives that can be used to describe Shohei. It's 4 for 4, five walks, he was finally struck out in his last at-bat and still had the patience to not try to do too much and get on base. He's just incredible. We've been talking about him since he got [to MLB] in 2018. We still don't have enough words to describe a once-in-ten-generations player.”
There are no unicorns. Ohtani does.
And yet, even as Ohtani attempts the impossible, the fourth game will bring its own challenges. While running the bases in extra innings, Ohtani suffered cramps but remained in the game. There will be something to see. How long will his legs last? How long can he go? The Dodgers need him to go deeper after using everyone in their bullpen. Roberts even considered becoming a position player eventually, until Yoshinobu Yamamotowho had just presented the full game two days earlier, volunteered to take part in the game. The Blue Jays will likely be without George Springerwho left the game with right side discomfort and underwent an MRI. But their DNA still exists. They are not very noticeable. They will challenge Ohtani to pitch. They'll work with his innings count, knowing the Dodgers are weak behind him.
But that's what Ohtani wants. When people wonder how much he can handle, he switches gears. When they doubt he can serve and hit at this level, he rises above the noise and dominates. He can carry the team. Country. The demands and pressure of a sport in which the eyes of the whole world are focused on his figure. About its possibility.
His teammates don't see that possibility. They are beyond this. Everything now is just confirmation of what they already know.
“He's a freak,” said Will Kleinwho pitched four scoreless frames in relief. “I don't know how anyone can do what he does. Be the best hitter and the best pitcher in the league. I don't think there is a word to describe it other than “GOAT”. He's going to push on Tuesday.”
