Shohei Ohtani is struggling in the Division Series with only 1 hit in 4 games but is expected to start Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.

During the Dodgers' tight 2-1 victory over the Phillies to move on to the NLCS, Shohei Ohtani’s offensive performance was poor again, going 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts and reaching base only with one walk and one intentional walk. His batting slump in this series is severe, with an average under .100.

In the first game of the Division Series, Ohtani started as a pitcher, delivering 6 innings with 9 strikeouts and 3 runs allowed, securing his first playoff win. However, at the plate, he went 0-for-4 with 4 strikeouts.

From the second game onward, focusing solely on hitting, Ohtani's form did not improve. In game two, he recorded 1 hit in 5 at-bats with an RBI, but that ended up being his only hit throughout the entire series. In game three, he went hitless in 5 at-bats, and in game four, he again failed to get a hit in 4 at-bats.

Across the entire Division Series, Shohei Ohtani appeared in 4 games with 18 at-bats but only managed 1 hit, no extra-base hits, 9 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 1 intentional walk, finishing with a batting average of just .056.

Although he hit two home runs in the Wild Card Series opener and totaled 3 hits in 9 at-bats over two games, Ohtani’s offense drastically declined entering the Division Series. So far in the playoffs, across 6 games, he has only 4 hits in 27 at-bats, holding a batting average of .148.

After the Dodgers advanced to the NLCS, they will face the winner of the Brewers vs. Cubs series. The first game is expected to begin on October 14th, Beijing time, with the team having 4 days of rest.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed after the game that Shohei Ohtani “is likely to be the starting pitcher for Game 1.” Roberts said, “We will discuss it further, but I think it will be him.”

Ohtani started the first game of this series on the mound, pitching 6 innings with 3 runs allowed and 9 strikeouts. The Dodgers won 5-3, with Ohtani earning the win and recording his first career postseason victory.