Fabian Ardaya reported that Blue Jays manager John Schneider was asked before Game 4 whether he would intentionally walk Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani in the first inning. “Haven’t decided yet,” Schneider said. As far as Game 3 went, that uncertainty quickly turned into an unprecedented strategic chess match as LA’s two-way superstar reached base nine times in an 18-inning thriller, setting a postseason record.
After Ohtani’s game-tying home run in the seventh inning — his second of the night — Schneider dramatically shifted tactics. “It’s not the easiest thing in the world to just walk him and face Mookie [Betts] and Freddie [Freeman],” he said following the 6–5 loss. “You got to really execute at a high level against him. I think the first couple games we did… after that, you just kind of take the bat out of his hands.”
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Blue Jays Reviving the Intentional Walk
Vote For Your Favorite Duo: Ohtani – Yamamoto, Betts – Freeman, Hernandez – Hernandez
In an era when analytics have largely eliminated intentional walks, Ohtani forced Toronto to revive the tactic. After going 4-for-4 early in the game, the Blue Jays issued intentional walks in the ninth, 11th, 13th, and 15th innings — each time with the game tied and nobody on base. Remarkably, the Dodgers failed to capitalize on any of these free passes.
When Ohtani returned to the plate in the 17th inning with a runner on first, left-hander Brendon Little tried to pitch to him, but the at-bat ended in another walk. By the time Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off homer in the 18th, Ohtani had reached base in all nine plate appearances, cementing the performance as one of the most extraordinary in postseason history.
Strategic Headaches Ahead for Dodgers
Schneider admitted he still hasn’t decided how he will approach Ohtani in Game 4. “Haven’t decided yet,” he said, underscoring the strategic dilemma facing the Blue Jays: pitch to one of the greatest hitters of all time, or risk further traffic on the bases by continuing to walk him.
For the Dodgers, Ohtani’s historic night exemplified both his unparalleled talent and the challenge he poses to any opposing manager. For Toronto, it was a lesson in futility: in baseball, sometimes the best plan is simply to hope lightning doesn’t strike twice.
