Dodgers’ star shortstop Mookie Betts took Los Angeles’ game 5 loss to Toronto harder than anyone else. The 31-year-old bluntly assessed his performance after going hitless in four at-bats. Betts struck out twice against Blue Jays’ rookie sensation Trey Yesavage. He grounded out once and had a pitch to handle in the ninth against closer Jeff Hoffman. But when his fly ball fell short of the warning track, he looked down and muttered in frustration before tossing his bat aside. And let’s just say, his frustration was carried in the postgame media availability as well after Shohei Ohtani’s blunt call-out.

“I don’t want to speak on anybody else. But for myself, I’ve just been terrible.” Mookie Betts said after the meltdown. “I mean, we’ve got a lot of confidence, but we’ve got to hit. I mean, it’s the name of the game; we’ve got to hit.” Betts added.

The Dodgers’ offensive struggles this series go beyond Betts. However, the former MVP has gone just 3-for-23 in this series and holds only nine hits across 55 at-bats since the Wild Card Series.

Further, during the media availability, Betts also added, “I wish it were from lack of effort. But it’s not. I mean, that’s all I can say.”

Betts’s painful admission has come right after Shohei Ohtani voiced his concerns. “We’re facing the best of the best, so I think it’s not that easy. But at the same time, we could do at least the bare minimum to be able to put up some runs.” The Dodgers star said through his interpreter, Will Ireton.

Shohei Ohtani couldn’t spark the Dodgers the way he did the night before. That night, he single-handedly powered his team back into the game. He drove in three runs before Blue Jays manager John Schneider decided he’d seen enough and took the bat out of his hands. It wasn’t until Freddie Freeman’s walk-off homer in the 18th inning that the rest of the lineup finally came through in Game 3.

Shohei Ohtani made only one mistake all night. It was a hanging sweeper he later called “regrettable”. That was the one Vladimir Guerrero Jr. crushed for a go-ahead two-run homer to make the score 2-1.

Now, for game 6, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has confirmed that the “lineup might look a bit different.”

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani would be available in relief in game 6 or 7

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Wednesday night that Shohei Ohtani would be available in relief in Game 6 or Game 7. In fact, Shohei Ohtani himself made it known that he has already started preparing for a potential relief appearance at Rogers Centre.

The idea of Shohei Ohtani pitching out of the bullpen was entertained earlier this season too. But ultimately, they wanted him to stay locked in as part of the four-man rotation—and still step up as the leadoff hitter every night.

It was widely debated throughout the regular season that the two-way player rule applies differently to starters and relievers. If Shohei Ohtani starts as a pitcher, he can remain as a DH after pitching. But if he starts the game as the DH and later takes the mound, the Dodgers lose their DH spot once he’s finished pitching.

Not to forget, Shohei Ohtani hasn’t pitched in relief in the majors. Although he famously closed out Japan’s 2023 World Baseball Classic win over Team USA by striking out Mike Trout.

And this time, the Dodgers are chasing MLB’s first back-to-back World Series title since the Yankees’ run from 1998 to 2000, and it makes sense why the team has made a bold decision with Shohei Ohtani.