Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider has hinted that his team may not be attempting to get Shohei Ohtani out for the remainder of the World Series. In Game 3, which lasted an astonishing six hours and 39 minutes, Schneider's strategy was clear: pitch around the Dodgers' superstar at all costs.
Ohtani had a phenomenal game, smacking two doubles and two home runs in his first four at-bats before Toronto essentially stopped trying to get him out. Schneider praised Ohtani as "a great player" but also acknowledged that he is "the best player on the planet." The Blue Jays' manager made it clear that they would rather give Ohtani a free pass than risk getting him out.
This bold strategy played out in real-time, with the Blue Jays intentionally walking Ohtani four times and unintentionally once more. The plan was to make life difficult for Ohtani by avoiding his pitches altogether, but this decision comes with its own set of problems. With Ohtani on the mound, the loaded Dodgers lineup that follows him poses a significant threat.
Despite Schneider's comments suggesting that the Blue Jays may not be attempting to get Ohtani out again in Game 4, they did try to pitch around him initially. However, it was only a temporary reprieve, and the Blue Jays' plan ultimately came undone as Ohtani took to the mound once more.
The Dodgers are now poised to take advantage of this situation and put pressure on Ohtani's pitching debut. With Ohtani at the helm, the Blue Jays will have to find new ways to counter the Dodgers' potent offense in order to stay competitive in the World Series.
Ohtani had a phenomenal game, smacking two doubles and two home runs in his first four at-bats before Toronto essentially stopped trying to get him out. Schneider praised Ohtani as "a great player" but also acknowledged that he is "the best player on the planet." The Blue Jays' manager made it clear that they would rather give Ohtani a free pass than risk getting him out.
This bold strategy played out in real-time, with the Blue Jays intentionally walking Ohtani four times and unintentionally once more. The plan was to make life difficult for Ohtani by avoiding his pitches altogether, but this decision comes with its own set of problems. With Ohtani on the mound, the loaded Dodgers lineup that follows him poses a significant threat.
Despite Schneider's comments suggesting that the Blue Jays may not be attempting to get Ohtani out again in Game 4, they did try to pitch around him initially. However, it was only a temporary reprieve, and the Blue Jays' plan ultimately came undone as Ohtani took to the mound once more.
The Dodgers are now poised to take advantage of this situation and put pressure on Ohtani's pitching debut. With Ohtani at the helm, the Blue Jays will have to find new ways to counter the Dodgers' potent offense in order to stay competitive in the World Series.
I gotta say, that was some crazy base running by Ohtani! 
The way he just took those pitches and swung away is just insane. And you're right, Schneider's strategy was super weird. I mean, I get it, the guy's a superstar, but come on... 
walking him four times? That's like handing him free bases. The Dodgers are gonna love this. Their lineup is already stacked with guys who can knock Ohtani out of the park. The Blue Jays need to find a way to shut down that offense or they're done for. This is gonna be interesting... 
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. The Dodgers' lineup is loaded with talented players, so it's gonna be tough for the Blue Jays to compete 
. I think Schneider needs to rethink his plan and find a way to counter Ohtani's dominance 
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. That kind of praise can be both an asset and a liability for a team. On one hand, it boosts morale; on the other hand, it puts a lot of pressure on the team to deliver 
. Whatever happens, I'm sure we'll see some thrilling games in the World Series 
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. But on the other hand, you've gotta remember that the Dodgers have an arsenal of stars who could knock it outta the park if they get their chance.
, and I love how he's not intimidated by the big league stage 
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But on the other hand, it leaves their team exposed to some serious heat from the Dodgers' lineup. It's like playing with fire – you might get burned if you can't find a way to put out the flames 
. Can they pull it off? Only time will tell 
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. I mean, who tries to walk the best player on the planet? 
But at the same time, you can kinda see why they'd want to do that - with him on the mound, the Dodgers' lineup is like a freight train 
! The way Schneider is handling him is like, genius or something 
? Idk, maybe I'm reading too much into this, but if I were on the Blue Jays' side, I'd be like "hold up, let's try to shut down that Dodgers offense first, then we can worry about Ohtani" 
. the Dodgers are gonna love this, they're gonna take full advantage of it and put even more pressure on Ohtani's pitching debut 
. but at the same time, you gotta admire the Blue Jays' strategy - they know they can't get Ohtani out to save their lives 
it's gonna be super hard to compete. i hope the Blue Jays can find a way to counter the Dodgers' offense without giving up 
and now hes gotta deal with a loaded lineup like that? its gonna be a tough game for him, thats for sure. but i have to ask, what do you think is going through schneiders head when he made that decision? was it purely strategic or did he just not want to risk losing ohtani?