2024 World Series: Shohei Ohtani one win away from realising childhood dream as Dodgers eye sweep
Los Angeles' Japanese superstar played through a partially dislocated shoulder in the 4-2 Game 3 victory over the Yankees. A win on Tuesday (29 October) would make Ohtani a world champion at last.
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Partially dislocated shoulder and all, Shohei Ohtani is one win away from realising his childhood dream of winning the World Series.
Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers took a commanding 3-0 series lead over the toothless New York Yankees with a 4-2 Game 3 victory at Yankee Stadium on Monday (29 October).
Only one team in Major League Baseball history has come back from a three-game deficit in the play-offs - the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who beat the Yankees in the American League Championships Series and went on to win the World Series.
With the Dodgers’ eighth championship on the line, Game 4 is on Tuesday at New York, who have not been swept in the Fall Classic since 1976.
“If we can get it done tomorrow, great,” Ohtani said at the post-game press conference. “I just want to focus on winning the game, first and foremost.”
Shohei Ohtani: 'I'm not thinking about whether it hurts or not'
Ohtani, who injured his left shoulder trying to steal second in Game 2 on Saturday, was far from 100 per cent on this chilly night in the Bronx, even though a day earlier manager Dave Roberts said his Japanese superstar would not be “compromised.”
Ohtani was wearing a heating device before and during the game to keep his shoulder warm. Every time he swung, he looked uncomfortable, taking deep breaths and following through with his right arm only.
In five plate appearances, Ohtani walked and was hit by a pitch to reach twice, scoring the team’s first run on Freddie Freeman’s two-run shot, the third home run in as many games from the front-runner for World Series MVP.
And on base, Ohtani pulled on the collar of his shirt to keep his arm in a sling position, making sure he would not aggravate it while running.
The expected National League MVP said the shoulder is improving although he was wincing in pain often.
“I wasn’t sure what had happened when I did it. I was trying to see if I was safe or not first,” Ohtani recalled of Game 2, when he suffered the injury while sliding into the bag.
“But now the pain is starting to subside and I feel like my swing is starting to come back. It’s taped up so it feels different from usual but I don’t think my swing changed that much.
“I was told it was important to keep it warm so I was wearing a device even during the game. When I was on base, I had to make sure it wouldn’t pop out again in case I had to slide which is why I was tugging on my jersey.”
Ohtani said he wasn’t sure if he would need off-season surgery. The only thing on his mind at the moment is winning Game 4, regardless of how his shoulder is.
Should the Dodgers prevail, it would be the first World Series sweep since 2012. As quiet as the Yankees’ bats have been, there’s every chance Ohtani will get his first ring in the first year of a 10-year marriage with the Dodgers on Tuesday.
“We haven’t had that conversation (on surgery) so after the series I’ll have more tests and determine how good it is. Right now I think it’s OK.
“Not everyone is 100 per cent. There are a few of us who are banged up at the moment. We just have to do what we can with what we have.
“During the game I’m not thinking about whether it hurts or not. I was just trying to make sure I didn’t aggravate it.”