Shohei Completes NLCS Sweep in Superhuman Performance

Just when I thought the Dodgers were well on their way without me having to check my heart rate count, Doc has to go and put in Blake Treinen to pitch the 8^th.  Is he the only RHRP the Dodgers have?  Where was Emmet Sheehan?  Oh well, quit complaining Jeff.

A double, SB, and BB, gave the Brewers life with runners on the corners with nobody out.  Treinen then struck out Isaac Collins and his night was done.  Anthony Banda came in to face Brice Turang.  Banda got the ground ball, but Turang was too fast to be doubled up, and the shutout was over.

Jackson Chourio, who is already an elite hitter at 21, singled to put runners on 1^st and 2^nd and Christian Yelich coming up.  But Banda got Yelich on a comebacker, and the Dodgers were now 3 outs away.

But this was Shohei’s night.  The day began with a number of commenters writing that Ohtani should be benched.  Some were a little more forgiving and said he should just be taken out of the leadoff spot.  Ohtani had a better idea.  He led off the bottom of the 1^st with a 446 foot HR.

Shohei Ohtani continues to show why he’s the best.

He opened Game 4 on the mound, walking the first batter then retiring the next three.
Then he hits a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first. pic.twitter.com/DturyJc6wD

— Valentina Martinez (@ValentinaMrtnz_) October 18, 2025

The Dodgers used 3 singles by Mookie, Will Smith, Tommey Edman, and a ground out by Teoscar Hernández gave the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.

Reminder that Tommy Edman is really good.
pic.twitter.com/qe1Dvh4LrJ

— Klein25 (@Klein25) October 18, 2025

Shohei walked in the 2^nd.  But then he outdid himself in the 4^th.  He hit one 469 feet on top of the RF pavilion roof.

SHOHEI OHTANI JUST HIT ONE OUT OF DODGER STADIUM

HOLY SHIT pic.twitter.com/8DkotMcXEZ

— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) October 18, 2025

Shohei was removed from pitching in the top of the 7^th after allowing the first two batters to reach .  Doc brought in LHRP Alex Vesia.  Vesia got Andrew Vaughn to pop out for the 1^st out, and then induced Sal Frelick to hit into a DP to end the inning.   Shohei completed 6+ scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits, struck out 10 while walking 3.  He had 19 whiffs.

But Ohtani came to bat in the bottom of the 7^th with a chance to hit his 3^rd HR, which he did.  But his 3^rd was just a flair hit only 427 feet.

Shohei Ohtani had an all-time great performance that will be talked about forever.

As a hitter: 3/3 with 3 home runs and a walk.

As a pitcher: 6.0 IP | 2 H | 0 ER | 10 Ks

The greatest player of all time. Just delivered a masterpiece to win NLCS MVP. pic.twitter.com/KqbXB9ItqP

— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) October 18, 2025

Roki Sasaki came in to pitch the 9^th in a non-save situation, allowing a single, but got the final three outs to send the Dodgers to the World Series AGAIN.

This will be the 5^th NL Pennant in the last nine years, and the 26^th in their illustrious history.  That is the most by any other NL team, 3 more than the Giants.

This was the first LAD 4 game sweep in a 7 game series since the 1963 sweep of  NYY in thw WS.

There are just not nearly enough superlatives to describe what Shohei Ohtani means to the Dodgers and MLB.

WS Game 1 will be, Friday, Oct. 24.  The LAD rotation figures to be the same: Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani.  I do not expect any changes in the position player roster.  Now the bullpen????  All kidding aside, I do not see any changes here either.

Dodgers Starting Pitching

Dodgers starting pitchers in the NLCS:

– Blake Snell: 8 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K
– Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 9 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
– Tyler Glasnow: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
– Shohei Ohtani: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K

That's a combined ERA of 0.63 across 28.2 innings. pic.twitter.com/gE1STt5E0Z

— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) October 18, 2025

Ohtani’s Strikeouts and HRs in chronological order

Shohei Ohtani's 10 strikeouts and three home runs in chronological order pic.twitter.com/z51rA0zAx5

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 18, 2025

October Kiké lets his defense be his star in this game.

The three different reactions from this double play by Kiké 😂🔥😒pic.twitter.com/gemA1Onoep

— James¹⁷¹⁸🎌 (@ShotimeLAD) October 18, 2025

4^th player to hit Playoff HRs off the same pitcher on the same calendar day in multiple postseasons.

Shohei Ohtani has homered off Jose Quintana on Oct 17 in consecutive years

He’s the 4th player to homer off the same pitcher on the same calendar day in multiple postseasons, joining:
⁰Justin Turner-Max Scherzer, 10/7/2016 & 2019
Manny Ramirez-Cole Hamels, 10/15/2008 & 2009…

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 18, 2025

Doc on Ruining Baseball

Dave Roberts did not hold back after the Dodgers won the Pennant pic.twitter.com/59rrHabtF0

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 18, 2025