With two wins under their belt in the NLCS, the Los Angeles Dodgers are inching toward a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers. While the Dodgers are surging, Shohei Ohtani is struggling.
That's right, Ohtani is not necessarily at his best. In Game 1, Ohtani went 0-for-2 and walked three times in a 2-1 victory. On Tuesday, he went 1-for-5, had an RBI, and a stolen base in a Dodgers 5-1 victory.
Most notably, he was intentionally walked three times. Last Thursday, Ohtani was intentionally walked once by the Phillies in the NLDS. Then, he was walked twice against the Brewers in Game 1.
In the process, Ohtani, a historical figure, added to his legacy even in the midst of struggle, according to Jayson Stark of The Athletic. He joined the likes of Barry Bonds and Miguel Cabrera as the only hitters to have more intentional walks than hits over the course of five postseason games.
In 2002, Bonds was walked seven times and had six hits. Then, Cabrera had four intentional walks and two hits in 2011. Also, Ohtnani joins in the company of former Dodgers player Pedro Guerrero.
In 1985, Guerrero was intentionally walked four times in October while in the thick of a 3-for-17 slump.
Currently, Ohtani is 1-for-20 at the plate in the NLDS against the Phillies and the NLCS. A far cry from his regular-season numbers.
During the regular season, he batted .282 with 55 home runs and 102 RBIs. Plus, remaining the clear front-runner for NL MVP honors.
Additional names to keep Shohei Ohtani company
According to Stark, he couldn't find any other player who had one hit and walked more times when doing some digging. However, he did come across two other big time names who had few hits and more intentional walks during an October downturn.
In 1985, Kansas City Royals legend George Brett had three intentional walks and two hits over five games. Then in 2008, Phillies slugger Ryan Howard also had three intentional walks and two hits.
Even when things get rough, Ohtani still manages to pull off historical feats.
