Ohtani to Play Game 3 as Dodgers Trail NLCS 0-2

The Milwaukee Brewers took a 2-0 lead in the National League Championship Series with a 2-1 victory in Game 1 at American Family Field. The Dodgers offense stranded nine runners on base and managed only one run despite consistent pressure on Milwaukee pitching.

Shohei Ohtani received thunderous boos from the Brewers crowd during pregame introductions and every at-bat. He drew a walk and hit a flare single but has not recorded an extra-base hit in five postseason games, carrying a .163 average over his last 23 contests.

“The symptoms shouldn't be the reason why I can't hit, and even if the injuries happen by accident, I take full responsibility.”

Controversy erupted over the home-plate strike zone when borderline calls favored Los Angeles in key early innings. Social media users accused the umpiring crew of giving the defending champions an unfair advantage, with one fan stating the calls were "blatant and obvious early."

Ohtani is batting .150 (3-for-20) with seven strikeouts, no home runs, no RBIs, and a .411 OPS across six postseason games. He has not homered since August 18 and admitted he is not fully healthy due to right biceps and left knee issues.

Manager Dave Roberts confirmed Ohtani will start Game 3 on Wednesday, batting between second and sixth. Roberts said Ohtani was "adamant that he can help us" and believes he has found something mechanically with his swing during on-field batting practice.