What’s Next for Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
The outcome may depend heavily on whether the offense can find its rhythm.
As Game 6 of the World Series approaches, the Dodgers are set to put Yamamoto on the mound after his impressive performance in previous shutout wins. This brings some much-needed optimism, but still, the team’s main worry is reviving their batting before it’s too late.
“I’m not feeling great about this,” remarked manager Dave Roberts. “I can see [the Blue Jays] making contact and advancing, while we’ve struggled to do that. We need to utilize the entire field and adjust if they aren’t giving us extra-base hits. It’s about finding ways to create competitive at-bats.”
He acknowledged that players need to step up, especially with Gausman on the opposing side. “Many of our guys are familiar with him, so it was essential to approach this fresh. We’re in a must-win situation, and we need to pull through.”
Through five games, the Dodgers have struggled at the plate, posting a .201 average and an OPS of .651. After taking a 2-1 lead in the series following a lengthy Game 3, they have since gone just 10-for-61, which translates to a .164 average and a mere .465 OPS.
This batting slump isn’t just a World Series issue. Roberts acknowledged after Game 4 that the team hasn’t hit its stride during this postseason. Since a disappointing exit against the Reds in the Wild Card Series, their hitting remains subpar, with a .214 average and an average of just 3.5 runs per game.
“We have faith in Yamamoto,” Mookie Betts stated. “He’ll do his job, but it’s essential for us to hit. We have to. No exceptions.”
Betts has been one of the standout players but still struggles, ending the postseason with a .234 average and .648 OPS, including a rough 3-for-23 in the World Series, which resulted in a drop to the third spot in the batting order for Game 5.
Max Muncy hasn’t fared much better, recording only three hits across 20 at-bats, and Tommy Edman has a .232 average with a .646 OPS, registering three hits in 21 World Series at-bats.
“I think [Betts] can use this downtime to refocus,” Roberts said. “He’s faced this before, and so have we all. It’s imperative that everyone contributes.”
