Ohtani bats fifth as DH for first time with Dodgers in NLDS Game 3
In short
Shohei Ohtani started Game 3 of the National League Division Series for the Dodgers batting fifth as designated hitter, the first time since he joined the club in 2024 that he has started outside the first or second spot. Yoshinobu Yamamoto started on the mound in Atlanta with the best-of-five series tied at one win each. Ohtani struck out swinging in the first inning with two outs and runners on first and second, while Yamamoto retired the side in order with two strikeouts.
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Shohei Ohtani started Game 3 of the National League Division Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers batting fifth as designated hitter, the first time since he joined the club in 2024 that he has started anywhere other than first or second in the order. Yoshinobu Yamamoto started on the mound for the Dodgers in Atlanta against the Braves, with the best-of-five series tied at one win each and three wins needed to reach the League Championship Series. The Dodgers are aiming for a third consecutive World Series title, which the documents describe as a feat only two other teams have achieved. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Ohtani's first at-bat came in the first inning with two outs and runners on first and second. He struck out swinging against Braves left-hander Sale, missing a slider away on a 2-2 count. Yamamoto struck out two batters in a three-up, three-down first inning, and had four strikeouts over seven batters through two innings, according to Yomiuri's live coverage. The Dodgers struck out six times in the first two innings against Sale. [ 3 , 5 ]
Dodgers manager Roberts said before the game that batting Ohtani fifth took the matchup with the opposing left-hander into account, adding that “there will be about two important situations today, and I think he will come up to bat in them.” Roberts also said Ohtani, who was told of the change the previous day, joked that he had thought of going to the manager himself in September to suggest batting seventh. [ 3 ]
The game matched Yamamoto, whose 14 wins this season were a career high, against Sale, a Cy Young Award-winning left-hander. The two also started against each other in the regular season on Aug. 27, when Sale won 1-0 with a five-hit shutout. [ 5 ]
Ohtani's move down the order follows a season disrupted by injury. In his third year with the Dodgers he began as a two-way player and won eight games as a pitcher in the first half, but inflammation in his right upper arm ended his pitching appearances after the break and his hitting also struggled, Yomiuri reported. He went on the injured list in September for the first time since the move and finished the regular season with 86 plate appearances without a home run, ending the year with 30 home runs. NHK said Ohtani had suffered successive injuries including to his right upper arm and left knee. He had not homered in the postseason through Game 2, his last home run coming on Aug. 18 in the regular season. [ 4 , 5 ]
The Braves won the National League East this season and reached the postseason for the first time in two years; they are one of the oldest clubs in Major League Baseball and have won the World Series four times. The Dodgers won Game 1 on Oct. 3 by 5-3 and lost Game 2 on Oct. 4 by 2-3. [ 5 ]
Why it matters
The Dodgers are chasing a third consecutive World Series title, which the documents say would make them only the third team in history to do so, and the series is level at one win each. Ohtani's move down the order comes after a season disrupted by injury, and Japanese outlets treated the lineup change as the main storyline, giving readers a measure of his current form.
Key facts
- Ohtani started Game 3 of the National League Division Series as the Dodgers' fifth batter and designated hitter, the first time since joining the club in 2024 that he started outside the first or second spot. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Yamamoto started the game for the Dodgers. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The best-of-five series was tied at one win each going into Game 3, with three wins needed to advance. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The game was played in Atlanta against the Braves. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Ohtani struck out swinging in the first inning with two outs and runners on first and second. [ 3 , 5 ]
- Yamamoto struck out two batters in a three-up, three-down first inning. [ 3 , 5 ]
- Dodgers manager Roberts said batting Ohtani fifth took the matchup with the opposing left-hander into account. [ 3 ]
- Sale, the Braves' left-handed starter, beat Yamamoto 1-0 with a five-hit shutout when the two met in the regular season on Aug. 27. [ 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Ohtani started at fifth in the order as designated hitter, the first time since his 2024 move to the Dodgers that he started anywhere other than first or second. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Yamamoto was the Dodgers' starting pitcher in Game 3. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The series stood at one win each before Game 3, with the winner of three games advancing. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The game was played in Atlanta, with the Dodgers as the visiting team against the Braves. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Ohtani struck out swinging in his first at-bat with two outs and runners on first and second. [ 3 , 5 ]
- The Dodgers are aiming for a third straight World Series title. [ 3 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- The result of Game 3 is not reported in the documents. Yomiuri's text is a live blog covering the early innings and the other documents went out before or during the game, so no final score appears.
- The full extent of Ohtani's injuries is not settled across the documents. NHK mentions successive injuries including to his right upper arm and left knee, while Yomiuri refers to right upper arm inflammation; NHK's text is truncated, so the wider injury list is a single-source claim.
- The documents give inconsistent timing for the start of the game. Yomiuri says the game began just after 7:00 a.m. Japan time, but Asahi and Yomiuri published first-inning detail before that time, so the stated start time and the publication times do not line up.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Tokyo Shimbun reports that Ohtani will bat fifth as designated hitter and Yamamoto will start Game 3. [ 1 ]
- Nishi-Nippon Shimbun, citing Kyodo from Atlanta, reports Ohtani in the fifth spot for the first time outside the top two since 2024, and Yamamoto's first start of this postseason. [ 2 ]
- Asahi reports that Ohtani struck out swinging in the first inning and that Yamamoto retired the side in order. [ 3 ]
- NHK reports the lineup change and notes Ohtani's injuries. [ 4 ]
- Yomiuri's live coverage reports the first two innings, with Yamamoto striking out four of seven batters and the Dodgers striking out six times against Sale. [ 5 ]
- Yomiuri says the game began just after 7:00 a.m. Japan time. [ 5 ]