Ohtani Overcomes Shaky Inning and Slump at Plate, Leads D...

In his long-awaited postseason pitching debut, Shohei Ohtani showcased both his dominance and his fallibility, ultimately leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a crucial 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. Playing before a hostile crowd of over 45,000 at Citizens Bank Park, Ohtani recovered from a rocky, three-run second inning to strike out nine batters over six innings. However, Ohtani had a night to forget at the plate, striking out four times in a game for the first time in 2025.

The Dodgers' offense, quiet for much of the night against Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez, came alive late. A two-run double by Kiké Hernández in the sixth inning cut the deficit to one, before Teoscar Hernández launched a go-ahead, three-run home run in the seventh to provide the decisive runs and redeem himself for an earlier defensive miscue. The win gives the Dodgers a critical 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

The game encapsulated the unique pressures facing Ohtani, who became the first player in MLB history to start a postseason game as both a pitcher and a non-pitcher. After admitting to pre-game nerves, Ohtani's command wavered in the second inning when the Phillies scored all three of their runs, highlighted by a two-run triple from J.T. Realmuto.

But the two-way superstar settled in remarkably, retiring 15 of the final 17 batters he faced and shutting down the heart of the Phillies' order. His resilience on the mound kept the Dodgers in the game, setting the stage for the late-inning heroics from his teammates. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised Ohtani's ability to separate his struggles at the plate from his duties on the mound, calling it the epitome of compartmentalizing.

The Dodgers' bullpen was flawless, with Alex Vesia escaping a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and Roki Sasaki earning his first career save in the ninth. This also marked the first time a Japanese-born starter and reliever earned a win and a save in the same postseason game.

A Tale of Two Performances: Shohei Ohtani's night was a study in contrasts. On the mound, he was brilliant after a difficult second inning, finishing with a line of 6 innings, 3 hits, 3 earned runs, 1 walk, and 9 strikeouts.
At the plate, he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts and a walk. This duality highlights the unprecedented challenge of being a two-way player on the October stage, where every pitch and at-bat is magnified.
The Decisive Rally: The Dodgers' offense was stymied for five innings by Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez, who struck out Ohtani three times. The comeback began in the sixth with a two-out, two-run double by Kiké Hernández.
In the seventh, after Ohtani struck out with two runners on, Teoscar Hernández redeemed himself for an earlier defensive mistake by hitting a three-run homer off reliever Matt Strahm that gave the Dodgers a 5-3 lead.
A Shaky Second Inning: All of Philadelphia's offense came in the second inning. An Alec Bohm walk and a Brandon Marsh single were followed by a J.T. Realmuto triple that scored two runs.
Realmuto later scored on a sacrifice fly. A defensive misplay in the outfield by Teoscar Hernández contributed to the inning's severity. After that frame, Ohtani was nearly untouchable, demonstrating his mental toughness by not letting the inning snowball.
Historic Postseason Debut: Ohtani's start was historic before he even threw a pitch. He became the first player in MLB history to start a postseason game as a pitcher and as a non-pitcher in the same postseason.
He was also the first starting pitcher to bat leadoff in a playoff game. The only other pitcher to bat somewhere other than eighth or ninth in the postseason was Babe Ruth in the 1918 World Series.
Bullpen and Defense Lock It Down: Following Ohtani's strong six-inning performance, the Dodgers' bullpen was perfect. The most critical moment came in the eighth inning when reliever Alex Vesia entered with the bases loaded and retired pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa to preserve the two-run lead.
Roki Sasaki then pitched a clean ninth inning for the save, securing a piece of Japanese baseball history alongside Ohtani.
Rivalry Renewed: This series marks the sixth postseason meeting between the Dodgers and Phillies, but their first since the 2009 NLCS. The rivalry has deep roots, with memorable and often painful clashes in 1977, 1978, 1983, 2008, and 2009.
This Game 1 victory on the road is statistically significant, as teams winning the first game on the road in a best-of-five Division Series have historically advanced 73.9% of the time.
Manager's Perspective: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Ohtani's offensive struggles but was effusive in his praise for the pitcher's resilience. "This epitomizes compartmentalizing. He's essentially two people in one night, in one game," Roberts said.
He highlighted how Ohtani managed his emotions after a tough inning and difficult at-bats to give the team six crucial innings and keep them in a position to win.