Analyzing MLB Wild Card postseason matchups
Bob Nightengale breaks down each of the four Wild Card matchups to kick off the 2025 MLB postseason.
LOS ANGELES — Dodgers MVP Shohei Ohtani, who played with one healthy shoulder last year in the World Series, reminded everyone just what he can do this postseason when he’s healthy.
Ohtani jumped on Cincinnati Reds ace Hunter Greene’s 100-mph fastball and sent it into the right-field pavilion, traveling 117.7 mph off his bat, to lead off the bottom of the first in Game 1 of the wild card series.
It was Ohtani’s 56th homer of the season, counting the regular season, sending the sellout crowd into a frenzy.
Ohtani’s 57th homer of the year came in the sixth inning, and it was a mammoth 454-foot blast.
If Ohtani keeps hitting like this, there may be no reason for him to take the mound Thursday in Game 3.
If the series ends in two games, Ohtani should be available to pitch Game 1 of the NL Division Series on Saturday night against the Philadelphia Phillies.
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