<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-floats-bombshell-solution-for-potential-playoff-pitching-problem');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani floats bombshell solution for potential playoff pitching problem');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Dodgers-manager-Dave-Roberts-and-Ohtani.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani floats bombshell solution for potential playoff pitching problem</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-17T12:03:28-07:00">September 17th, 12:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-17T12:03:28-07:00">September 17th, 12:03pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Two straight losses to the Philadelphia Phillies have left the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-gets-brutally-honest-about-bullpen-after-phillies-loss">Los Angeles Dodgers clinging to</a> a two-game lead in the NL West. Tuesday night’s 9-6 loss stung a bit more. Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani threw five scoreless innings and hit his 50th home run of the season, yet it still wasn’t enough. Post-game, Ohtani teased a p<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-open-to-playing-outfield-in-postseason" rel="noopener">otential return to the outfield</a> once the postseason rolls around, according to MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan.</p><p>“Might we see Shohei Ohtani in the outfield this October?” queried Harrigan on Wednesday. “Ohtani floated that possibility to members of the Japanese media after the Dodgers’ 9-6 loss to the Phillies on Tuesday, during which the two-way superstar tossed five innings of no-hit ball and also hit his 50th homer of the season. Los Angeles gave up nine runs in relief of Ohtani, continuing what has been a rough stretch for the club’s bullpen.”</p><p>Ohtani has played a few games in the outfield in the past. The Japanese star also discussed potentially pitching in relief, since the Dodgers’ bullpen is currently going through a rough patch. The relief corps gave up nine runs <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-explains-shohei-ohtani-decision-in-stunning-loss-to-phillies">in relief of Ohtani</a> Tuesday night, yet another blown opportunity at victory. To win in October, Los Angeles needs to be firing on all cylinders. Would Ohtani’s arm make a difference in the outfield or the pen once the postseason rolls around?</p><h2><b>Dodgers need all hands on deck in tight NL West title race</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Dodgers-two-way-player-Shohei-Ohtani.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With the Padres hot on their heels, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-tanner-scott-hoping-nsfw-mentality-change-can-turn-season-around">Dodgers need to sort out</a> their issues fast. This past winter, the front office focused on adding arms to the pen. That included former All-Star relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates. However, the attempted retooling of the bullpen hasn’t worked out quite as well as the team would have hoped.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-legend-grows-second-straight-50-home-run-season">Ohtani already plays both ways.</a> He’s one of, if not the best, players in the MLB. A three-time MVP, there’s a pretty good chance he wins number four this season. After all, he’s created an exclusive club all on his own: the reigning MVP became the first player in history to hit 50 home runs and strikeout 50 batters in a season. The two-way stud is already doing his best impression of Superman. Can he do even more to help the Dodgers lock in another AL West title?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani floats bombshell solution for potential playoff pitching problem

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-explains-shohei-ohtani-decision-in-stunning-loss-to-phillies');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers’ Dave Roberts explains Shohei Ohtani decision in stunning loss to Phillies');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Dave-Roberts-explains-Shohei-Ohtani-decision-in-stunning-loss-to-Phillies.jpg"><figcaption>© Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dodgers’ Dave Roberts explains Shohei Ohtani decision in stunning loss to Phillies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-17T00:20:40-07:00">September 17th, 12:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-17T08:55:40-07:00">September 17th, 8:55am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>What makes Shohei Ohtani a one-of-a-kind superstar in professional sports is that he’s both an MVP-caliber player at the plate and on the mound. For the Los Angeles Dodgers, however, they had to wait until this season for Ohtani to return to the mound, and entering play on Tuesday, the reigning NL MVP was sporting an ERA of 3.75 in 12 starts (36.0 innings). The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-pitching-admission-have-fans-hyped">Dodgers have been very careful</a> with his arm up to this point, although he was dominant on Tuesday — as he no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies through five innings while striking out five.</p><p>This put Dodgers manager Dave Roberts in such a difficult position. Ohtani’s season-high in innings pitched was five full innings, and his season-high in total pitches thrown was 87 back on the 27th of August against the Cincinnati Reds. After five innings against the Phillies, Ohtani was at just 68 pitches — suggesting that he had more left in the tank.</p><p>Alas, Roberts did not want to take any chances. What ensued was a major disaster; the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-ohtani-decision">Dodgers brought in Justin Wrobleski</a> to begin the sixth inning and he promptly allowed five earned runs — giving the Phillies the lead in the inning and prompting some major boos to rain in Dodger Stadium.</p><p>After the game, Roberts <a href="https://x.com/michaeljduarte/status/1968184985850135009" rel="noopener">explained his rationale</a> behind pulling Ohtani earlier than one would think he should have been.</p><p>“He wasn’t going to go back out,” Roberts bluntly said, saying that the Dodgers don’t intend for Ohtani to pitch in more than five innings, per Michael J. Duarte of NBC LA.</p><p>It’s one thing for the Dodgers to hold firm to the plan they’ve set for themselves prior to the game. They are simply erring on the side of caution considering that Ohtani is also their best hitter. But would it not have made more sense if they based it more on pitch count than innings pitched?</p><h2><b>Dodgers bullpen loses the plot in loss vs. Phillies</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Dodgers-pitcher-Blake-Treinen-49-throws-a-pitch.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Wrobleski will draw most of the headlines for his disastrous sixth inning appearance, but the Dodgers were able to tie the game in the eighth inning anyway, with Ohtani hitting a home run to lead off the inning and Alex Call tying the game with a sac fly later in the inning.</p><p>But then the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-wild-collapse-vs-phillies-not-seen-1906">Dodgers bullpen wasn’t done making a mess</a> of itself; Blake Treinen allowed a three-run home run to unheralded Phillies hitter Rafael Marchan and they ended up losing, 9-6.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dodgers’ Dave Roberts explains Shohei Ohtani decision in stunning loss to Phillies

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-juan-soto-joins-club-with-only-shohei-ohtani-for-season-long-feat');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mets’ Juan Soto joins club with only Shohei Ohtani for season-long feat');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Mets-right-fielder-Juan-Soto-right-celebrates.jpg"><figcaption>© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mets’ Juan Soto joins club with only Shohei Ohtani for season-long feat</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-16T23:47:14-07:00">September 16th, 11:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-16T23:47:14-07:00">September 16th, 11:47pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The past few weeks have certainly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-philadelphia-clinch-nl-east-early-surging-past-mets">not been the easiest for the New York Mets</a>, as they saw their competition for the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League inch closer and closer to them amid what was shaping up to be a painful late season collapse. But they seem to have righted the ship in recent days, as they took their second consecutive victory with an 8-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-pete-alonso-joins-shohei-ohtani-aaron-judge-latest-feat">Mets took off with a five-run first inning</a> against the Padres on Tuesday and did not look back, and with that win, they managed to keep the hard-charging Arizona Diamondbacks at bay at 1.5 games back of them in the standings.</p><p>While Juan Soto did not do a lot to garner headlines, as he went just 1-4 with his lone hit on the night coming in that first inning avalanche, that was enough for him to make history in his first season with the Mets. He ended the night with 40 home runs, 32 stolen bases, and 114 runs scored, and that makes him <a href="https://x.com/jonmorosi/status/1968150122946326769" rel="noopener">just the second player</a> in MLB history to notch at least 40 long balls, 30 stolen bases, and 110 runs in their first season since changing teams in free agency, joining Shohei Ohtani, as pointed out by Jon Morosi of MLB Network.</p><p>Soto did endure a bit of a slow start to the 2025 season, with some calling the Mets’ decision to splurge on him an ill-advised one. But Soto is nothing if not consistent, and he’s been a major addition to the Mets lineup — an on-base machine who is also one of the best power producers in the game. He’s also been at his best on the basepaths, with his current tally of 32 stolen bases beating his previous career-best over a single season by 20.</p><h2><b>Juan Soto and the Mets look to hold on to a playoff spot</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Juan-Soto-1.jpg"><figcaption>Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It was an eight-game losing streak that gave the Mets so many reasons to be anxious; it did look like their spiral was not going to end anytime soon, which would then open up the way for the Diamondbacks or even the San Francisco Giants to overtake them in the standings.</p><p>Nonetheless, the Mets have been preaching patience all the way, and they know that the only important thing is to get into the playoffs. Once they’re in the postseason, anything can happen after all. And their play as of late, and against another likely playoff team in the Padres, suggests that they are bouncing back just in time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets’ Juan Soto joins club with only Shohei Ohtani for season-long feat

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-ohtani-decision');   ga('set', 'title', 'Boo birds out for Dodgers’ Dave Roberts after Shohei Ohtani decision backfires');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Dodgers-news-What-Dave-Roberts-is-concerned-about-as-LA-enters-playoff-mode.jpg"></figure><h1>Boo birds out for Dodgers’ Dave Roberts after Shohei Ohtani decision backfires</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-16T22:22:26-07:00">September 16th, 10:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-16T22:22:26-07:00">September 16th, 10:22pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Dodgers watched a win slip away on Tuesday night, and manager Dave Roberts found himself at the center of controversy after a pivotal decision involving superstar Shohei Ohtani. Despite throwing five no-hit innings on just 68 pitches, Ohtani was pulled before the sixth frame. The move unraveled fast.</p><p>Reliever Justin Wrobleski entered from the bullpen and immediately gave up five hits, including a three-run homer to Brandon Marsh, sparking a furious rally for the Philadelphia Phillies. The decision to pull the 3-time MVP backfired instantly as the momentum shifted. Roberts’ bullpen gambled and lost, as the Dodgers blew a 4-0 lead and ultimately fell 9-6 at Chavez Ravine, leaving fans stunned and frustration boiling over.</p><p>The Athletic’s Matt Gelb captured the scene perfectly on X (formerly known as Twitter), using the right words to sum up a <a href="https://x.com/MattGelb/status/1968158646292164819" rel="noopener">nightmare unfolding</a> in Los Angeles as the fans erupted.</p><p>“The Phillies were no-hit for five innings by Ohtani. They have scored five runs in the sixth inning against Justin Wrobleski. Dodger Stadium is raining boos on Dave Roberts. Oh my.”</p><p>Pulling Ohtani before he had even allowed a hit drew loud boos from the 44,000-plus in attendance and triggered a bullpen collapse that has now doomed the Dodgers in back-to-back losses.</p><p>Roberts defended the choice postgame, citing workload management and long-term health. But the timing and result put a spotlight on another Dave Roberts decision under fire as the postseason nears.</p><p>The Dodgers vs. Phillies series finale on Wednesday is now critical, with Blake Snell set to start. With the division lead shrinking, Roberts and his staff face rising pressure from both fans and standings alike.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Boo birds out for Dodgers’ Dave Roberts after Shohei Ohtani decision backfires

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-legend-grows-second-straight-50-home-run-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s legend grows with second-straight 50 home run season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Shohei-Ohtani-runs-to-first.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s legend grows with second-straight 50 home run season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-16T21:56:56-07:00">September 16th, 9:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-16T23:19:47-07:00">September 16th, 11:19pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It is becoming increasingly difficult for Shohei Ohtani to stun the masses with his greatness, as he continues to complete mind-boggling feats year after year. Though, he did his best to make jaws drop in Tuesday’s game versus the Philadelphia Phillies. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar threw five no-hit innings and then blasted his <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1968170781424378057" rel="noopener">50th home run of the season</a>. He is just the sixth player to attain that mark in consecutive campaigns, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.</p><p>Ohtani joins an esteemed club of prolific power hitters that includes Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey Jr. This <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-shohei-ohtani-outpaces-ken-griffey-jr-historic-run">once-in-a-generation player</a> continues to do things that the baseball world has not witnessed in ages, or in some cases, ever. Besides soaring into rarefied air, the three-time MVP’s 430-foot bomb helped the Dodgers eventually pull even with the Phillies in the eighth inning.</p><p>Ultimately, though, Ohtani’s two-way heroics were not rewarded. Bullpen struggles resulted in a 9-6 home loss. The Japanese juggernaut did at least give the fans who piled into Dodger Stadium a history-making outing they can look back on with amazement and joy. Moreover, he thrived against one of LA’ biggest obstacles to a second straight World Series title. Although the outcome did not go the way he or the team wanted, Shohei Ohtani can build on this terrific performance.</p><p>The 31-year-old, who is slashing .282/.395/.611/1.006 with the aforementioned 50 homers, 94 RBIs and 19 stolen bases, could be extra motivated to have another big game on Wednesday night. The Dodgers (84-67) will try to avoid a sweep in Chavez Ravine and get back on track before the playoffs begin. First pitch is at 10:10 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.278	45	85	0.995	17

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.278	45	85	0.995	17

Shohei Ohtani

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Boo birds out for Dodgers’ Dave Roberts after Shohei Ohtani decision backfires

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s legend grows with second-straight 50 home run season

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