We’ve already looked at part one and part two of the NLDS between the Phillies and Dodgers, a series in which the former almost completely dominated one Shohei Ohtani. In the cold darkness of winter, there
is little to think about with the Phillies, particularly when they are just coming off another early round playoff exit. So, let’s continue on our journey as the series shifts to Los Angeles and Ohtani gets to hit on home turf.
The Phillies had lost the first two games of the series and were written off by many. There was a bit of intrigue as to who would get the nod for them to start Game 3, but that was put to bed early when Rob Thomson said that Aaron Nola would get the ball. Nola getting the ball seemed like a white flag for the team given his struggles, but much to everyone’s surprise, he got through two innings rather easily.
It was this all hands on deck approach to the game that would present the challenge to Ohtani. The team had employed a rather simple gameplan in approaching him: hard in on his hands, breaking or soft stuff away. The pitch mix was important, the location and velocity at which it was thrown even more so. To get the best of Ohtani, you must throw it hard and you must not miss.
However, the team had started left handers against him in both of the previous games. This game, they had to go with Aaron Nola as a way to get some length out of him and Ranger Suarez to try and avoid the bullpen. How did it go? Let’s remember.
First plate appearance
Admit it. You were like me when you heard about Aaron Nola getting the Game 3 start and this was the matchup that you feared the most. I happen to still be a believer that Nola is a top tier starting pitcher that simply had a lost season, but one cannot deny that his 2025 was bad. Putting him up against Ohtani in a playoff setting was a situation that made me feel like the team was going to be playing from behind.
And based on two of those pitches, that was almost a reality.
The knucklecurves that Nola throw were decent to most hitters, but to Ohtani, they should have been deposited about 430 feet away. This is where Nola was a bit fortunate that the pitchers that came before him had held Ohtani in check. Otherwise, were he hitting as well as he did all season long, one of these two pitches that he hung would have put the Dodgers out in front quickly.
Now I know what Rob Thomson only wanted Nola to see this lineup one time.
Second plate appearance
So far, in the first two parts of this miniseries, I’ve written about how it was important to be able to beat Ohtani with not only location, but with velocity. Though he is capable of doing superhuman things, he is still mortal and can be beaten if those two things are executed.
How quickly we forget Ranger Suarez.
One of the masters of being able to put his pitches exactly where he wants to, Suarez is able to beat Ohtani with a perfectly executed sinker in on his hands. It’s a good velocity for Suarez (93 MPH), but the location of it truly could not be better. Again, sticking to the scouting report that has become apparent.
Also: great job with the telecast, TBS.
Third plate appearance
ABS!
NOW!
The fourth pitch of this at bat is just beautiful and the umpire just stares at it. It’s not really even borderline either, he just misses it.
Regardless, this is a bit of a diversion from the gameplan employed. Here, we see Suarez going away from Ohtani a bit more than the team had been pitching him in the two games prior. That’s leaning into Suarez’s strengths a bit more as his slider is usually put on the outside corner more often.
Sometimes, if the pitcher is going to use his stuff, he has to use it to his strenghs.
Also, Suarez gets away with a pitch there to strike Ohtani out. Yowza.
Fourth plate appearance
Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good.
Up above, you can see how often Suarez would throw his slider this season. At 4.2%, it was his least used pitch during the regular season, which makes his going to the pitch in three out of the last four pitches he threw to Ohtani a curious choice.
Because those are three pretty bad pitches.
As mentioned, the slider he got Ohtani to swing and miss on in the third at bat was one he got away with. In the first pitch here, he missed his spot pretty badly and, luckily, gets another whiff. On the third pitch, I really have to wonder why they would want to come in on Ohtani here. Sure, they get it in on his hands enough that he gets a flyball, but that flyball went about 360 feet. It’s a rather sizable sigh of relief breathed out, even though a home run would have only brought them within one.
These were probably the signs that it was time to get Suarez out of there.
Fifth plate appearance
Welcome to Shohei Ohtani wanting to get the game over with as soon as possible.
Again, not a great pitch, but Ohtani is off balance now. Couple that with his knowing they are at the end of the game and it’s kind of an ugly swing induced by Banks. He really was sneaky good last season.
So now, by the end of Game 3, the Phillies are alive in the series and perhaps a sliver of doubt had crept into Los Angeles. Ohtani was being completely shut down by the Phillies, as were some of the other big guns in the Dodgers’ lineup. It was now something that was clearly being done with great effect.
