The Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t easing into their title defense. They’re detonating it. Manager Dave Roberts named Shohei Ohtani the NLDS Game 1 starter in Philadelphia. It will be the two-way superstar’s first postseason appearance on the mound after 18 playoff games as a DH. Ohtani will be the first player in MLB history to start a postseason game both as a pitcher and as a non-pitcher in the same October. The decision came just after L.A. eliminated the Reds in the Wild Card round. Saturday’s opener is set for TBS at 6:08 or 6:38 p.m. ET.
Why Ohtani Is The Right Game 1 Bet
MLB.com’s Sonja Chen noted that the Dodgers carefully built Ohtani’s arm back all summer. Then they lifted the cap late. He threw five hitless innings against the Phillies on Sept. 16. One week later, he went six innings for the first time all season.
Over 14 starts, Ohtani posted a 2.87 ERA with 62 strikeouts and nine walks. Andrew Friedman even called him “a normal starter” again. The gradual ramp was not cosmetic. It was the plan to line him up for this assignment in Philadelphia.
Newsweek’s Jackson Roberts highlighted the historical weight. Ohtani already owns three MVPs, a World Series ring, and five postseason homers. Yet he has never thrown a playoff pitch. Saturday changes that. It isn’t just a matchup decision. It’s the Dodgers planting their flag after a year of patience following elbow surgery.
Ohtani enters on ten days’ rest. The Dodgers no longer see him on a hard pitch limit. The only question is how deep Roberts will let him go. One night could swing home-field advantage.
What Game 1 Means For The Dodgers
The rotation makes the choice even clearer. The Dodgers didn’t need Tyler Glasnow to get past Cincinnati. Yoshinobu Yamamoto carried the team into the seventh and threw 113 pitches. Blake Snell worked seven innings in Game 1. Now Glasnow is fully rested, while Snell can return on five days’ rest. Yamamoto follows them later. This lets Los Angeles use Ohtani first, then roll out power arms behind him.
The Dodgers dispatched Cincinnati 8–4 with big nights from Yamamoto and Mookie Betts. That conserved the bullpen. True Blue LA pointed out that starting Ohtani Saturday also preserves him for a possible Game 5. It’s controlled aggression. Los Angeles is betting on its biggest ceiling when it matters most.
The matchup is compelling. Ohtani no-hit the Phillies for five innings in September. Philadelphia will counter with left-handed sluggers and the return of Trea Turner. MLB lists the opener for early evening on TBS. Roberts said the Dodgers “match up really well,” and recent numbers back it up. The rotation ranked second in ERA from Aug. 1 onward. In September, the staff was historically stingy.
If the Dodgers take Game 1, home-field advantage flips. The Phillies then face Glasnow, Snell, and Yamamoto in succession. That’s the edge Roberts and Friedman want.
Ohtani isn’t just back. He’s timed. After a year of restraint, the Dodgers are finally unleashing the player they invested in. October will reveal if the most daring star of his generation can also be its steadiest. Saturday is the proof.
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