Ohtani set to make postseason pitching debut in unfriendly Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is more the Sultan of Squat than a modern day Babe Ruth when the Los Angeles Dodgers star plays in Philadelphia. He's yet to hit any of his 250 homers in Philly. He's batting .250 lifetime in Citizens Bank Park with just two extra-base hits and four RBIs over 12 games and 44 at-bats. He struck out 16 times. So if the bat is cold, why not pitch? Ohtani finally makes his postseason pitching debut when he takes the mound Saturday for the Dodgers in the NL Division Series opener against the Phillies. The best-of-five series between two franchises who have each played in a World Series over the last three seasons — yet somehow haven't met in the playoffs since 2009 — is loaded with star power. Bryce Harper and Trea Turner. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts. Yet no player looms as large in the series as Ohtani. The two-way global sensation didn't pitch for the Dodgers last season while recovering from a second elbow surgery, in September 2023. He still became the first player with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases as the Dodgers won the World Series over the New York Yankees. Back on the bump this season, Ohtani struck out 62 batters over 47 innings with a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts. He has three straight scoreless starts for the Dodgers and is coming off his best outing of the season against Arizona. The right-hander's fastball was consistently in the 98-100 mph range, hitting 101.2 on one delivery, over a season-high six innings. He struck out eight. The 31-year-old Ohtani has slowly built up his pitch count as he returned from surgery. He threw a season-high 91 pitches against Arizona in his 100th Major League Baseball mound start. "I'm sure I'll be nervous at times," Ohtani said Friday through a translator. "But more than that, I'm just really grateful that I get to play baseball at this time of the year. And just being healthy is really important to me, so I'm just grateful for that." Ohtani pitched five hitless innings against the Phillies last month before the bullpen imploded in a 9-6 Philadelphia win. Ohtani struck out five and walked one. He threw 42 of 68 pitches for strikes and retired his final 13 batters. Phillies reliever Walker Buehler — who got the final out for the Dodgers to win the World Series last year — admired what he saw out of Ohtani during their time as teammates and noted "the answer is very simple" as to what made the slugger so good. Just look at the numbers. At the plate, Ohtani perked up in September, hitting .312 with 10 home runs and a 1.165 OPS. He finished the regular season with a career-high 55 homers, one more than last season. Against the Reds in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, he hit two homers. He was 1 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI in the closeout win Wednesday. "The fastball plays up, the breaking balls are sharp. So he's obviously going to be a challenge for us," Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said. "But I do think, hopefully seeing him a second time, will help our guys." The NL East champion Phillies tried to stay sharp with workouts — and an intrasquad scrimmage in front of 31,000 paying fans — during the five-day layoff after they were bumped in this round last year by the New York Mets. Ohtani is certainly not the easiest pitcher to face in any situation, much less a high-profile playoff game when Phillies hitters could be a bit rusty. Harper, NL home run champion Kyle Schwarber and the rest of the Phillies sure couldn't figure out Ohtani last month. "It's the combination of power and control, command, stuff," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. "He was really good. He was pumping strikes and it was 98, 99. And the secondary pitches are all way above-average. "So if he's doing that, it's a tough task." Can Sánchez hold his own against Ohtani in Game 1? Cristopher Sánchez may not have the name recognition of Ohtani but the Phillies right-hander is in the conversation for NL Cy Young Award after career highs in wins, innings and strikeouts. Sánchez (13-5, 2.50 ERA, 212 strikeouts in 202 innings pitched) gets the Game 1 nod for the Phillies in large part because ace Zack Wheeler is sidelined following complications from a blood clot. But Sánchez is up to the tall task — and the 6-foot-6 right-hander is on a hot streak. He allowed just seven runs over his last six starts and struck out six over seven innings and took a no-decision in a Sept. 16 start in Los Angeles. The Phillies seemingly have the baseball version of a bargain after they signed Sánchez in the middle of last season to a $22.5 million, four-year contract through 2028. The 28-year-old Sánchez is in line to get the critical Game 1 — and possibly Game 4 — starts. Sánchez went 6-0 with a 1.94 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 15 starts this season at Citizens Bank Park. "I do know he loves pitching here. He loves the atmosphere," Realmuto said. "What the crowd brings to him, I think, is something that can't be overstated. Obviously his numbers here have been really good the last few years. There's something he feels in this ballpark where he just feels at home, he feels confident and he enjoys dominating here." The Dodgers and Phillies have big payrolls There is a bit of a mutual admiration and connection between the two franchises in large part because of their hefty payrolls. The Dodgers boast the most expensive roster with in-season moves that boosted their payroll to $341.5 million plus nearly $168 million in tax for a total spend of $509 million, according to Major League Baseball's latest tabulation. Philadelphia has the fourth-highest spend at $347.7 million with a $291.7 million payroll and $55.9 million in forecast tax. Harper said in April he was a fan of the Dodgers' free-spending ways to build a winner. "I feel like only losers complain about what they're doing. I think they're a great team and a great organization," Harper said. Realmuto, eligible for free agency at the end of the postseason, also threw his support Friday behind the Dodgers spending. "They're the epitome of what Major League should be; they go out every year and try to win, their ownership is awesome, their front office is great. It's an organization that the other teams look up to," he said. "And I see us as the same way. I feel this match-up is going to be a lot of fun. And it's good for the game to have these two teams going at it." Even with the No. 2 seed and home field, the Phillies are the betting underdog to win the series against the Dodgers (-120), per BetMGM Sportsbook. The Dodgers (+360) are the favorite to win the World Series. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB