Dodgers and Blue Jays talk about what makes Shohei Ohtani a special player
USA TODAY Sports interviewed members of the Dodgers and Blue Jays ahead of the World Series to discuss Shohi Ohtani’s unique talent.
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LOS ANGELES – The Toronto Blue Jays have lost six games this postseason, but with each loss they dispel the cliché thanks to Book Tour’s Tony Robbins.
The league leaders came from behind to win.
Wash away your losses and turn the page.
Glue Jays. get it?
But now even the most jaded observer has to agree that there is substance behind all this talk. Bouncing back from an 18-inning loss and moving within two wins of winning the World Series could have that effect.
So when the Blue Jays played two games worth of baseball in Game 3 of the World Series, and the greatest two-way player in baseball history was ejected from the mound in Game 4, only to suffer a devastating, season-threatening setback, the Blue Jays were overjoyed that a demoralizing 18-inning loss would only count as one game.
They just woke up with nine innings to go and tarnished the Shohei Ohtani myth with franchise player Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s game-winning two-run homer.
They witnessed manager John Schneider lead a quartet of weapons into the snake pit of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ batting lineup and reload the rest of his staff, with pitching reserves severely depleted.
Finally, with the sun setting on Dodger Stadium and a one-run lead in the seventh inning that needed to be strengthened, the team chased Ohtani out of the game, sent nine men to the plate, and peppered the two relievers with base hits and basic pitching, demoralizing the Dodgers and scoring four runs to secure a 6-2 victory and secure this World Series in two games apiece.
The Blue Jays guaranteed a lot by winning one game, but their situation looked very dire at the time.
This year, the Rogers Center will be lit at least once more. Their best pitcher, Kevin Guzman, will get another shot at the Dodgers.
The best-of-seven becomes a best-of-three, and Game 5 at Chavez Ravine on Oct. 29, which once looked like a coronation for the Dodgers, will be a huge opportunity for Toronto, securing it two strokes away from winning the world championship on home soil.
And perhaps more importantly, the Blue Jays have further solidified their belief in each other and the cause they are committed to, which is to bring Toronto its first World Series championship since 1993.
These Blue Jays could be historic. They are already completely convinced that they are special.
“I think it’s a quote from Herb Brooks,” said third baseman Ernie Clement, referring to the man who led the 1980 U.S. men’s hockey team to an impressive gold medal. “But we’re a team of extraordinary guys. I think any normal team would have been crushed today.
“And we’re not normal. I think we’re the best team in baseball. We got out of bed with our hair on fire and got ready to play.”
Clement, the curly-haired infielder, was proof enough that his 26 postseason hits were second in the playoffs behind Guerrero’s 28.
A double in the seventh inning ended Ohtani’s night. One inning later, a grounder to shallow right field became a hit that flew into the first base bag, as if getting his eighth multi-hit game this postseason could mean the difference between eating and being hungry.
Ah, but there was so much more.
Like Shane Bieber, Game 4 starters began warming up in anticipation of playing in ’19.th In the 3rd inning of Game 3, Freddie Freeman’s walk-off home run ended a saga that lasted nearly seven hours.
It was Max Scherzer, a wild-eyed veteran who was about 11 years old.th or 12th In the inning, he urged Bieber to consider playing in the game “if things get bad.” Pitching coach Pete Walker agreed. Bieber started pitching in 18 games.th.
Then Freeman’s home run sent everyone home and the Beavers almost slept through the night.
“It’s definitely powered up, right?” Bieber says. “In a World Series game, you have to be ready to pitch in the 19th inning. Pete was like, ‘Oh, we might need you as a last resort.’
“And I think we were probably close to getting the ball.”
But in one of those twists of fate that happens every October, Toronto lost the game. The Beavers remained in the turn for Game 4.
And the man who couldn’t make it through the third inning in a playoff start and the fourth inning in another game glared at Ohtani, the slugger who reached base nine innings with four hits, two homers and five walks in Game 3.
He led the Blue Jays into the sixth inning, striking out two and allowing only a harmless walk. It was the latest step for a player who was recovering from Tommy John surgery in April 2024 and did not start a game until August.
“I’m really happy for him,” Schneider says. “The journey he’s been on for the past year and a half.”
Schneider’s hot hands became even warmer. He got the final two outs of the sixth inning while still holding a 2-1 lead when he pulled the Beavers at just the right time to left-hander Mason Fluharty.
Next? Former starting pitcher Chris Bassitt was asked to pitch in relief every day in the minor leagues for the first time since 2012. At 36 years old, he retired six of the seven batters he faced, transforming himself into a proud starter and playoff set man.
No one loves life more this year, my third and possibly last year in Toronto.
“I probably don’t want to discredit the Oakland team, but this is the closest team I’ve ever been on. It’s 30 guys who really care about each other,” Bassitt says. “It’s crazy, but I go to my wife’s suite and there are 30 wives and girlfriends and they’re all very, very close. I’ve never seen anything like that.
“We’re kind of a family, and we genuinely care about each other. We always encourage each other. We don’t put too much pressure on each other. We just play our game and we usually win.”
Bassitt pitched 6 2/3 innings as a reliever over five postseason games, pitching no runs. He retired 20 of the 22 batters he faced.
“He was unbelievable,” Clement said. “It’s really impressive to switch roles a little bit and do it seamlessly.”
But Game 4 all started with Guerrero, a mainstay on the Blue Jays’ reinforcements since his debut in April 2019. He has hit seven home runs this postseason, second only to Ohtani’s eight, and is tied with 14 RBIs.
In the third inning of the fourth game, the two teams went head-to-head. A matchup of megastars not normally translated into baseball took place here in the fading afternoon light of Los Angeles.
That was certainly important to Guerrero.
“It was very important to me to hit a home run,” Guerrero said through translator Hector Lebron. “I have a lot of respect for Ohtani. I basically know myself and him. We’re kind of the talking points of the series, but when we’re between those two lines, we’re competing.”
Translation: The Ohtani vs. Guerrero logo held high in the sky isn’t just the perfect backdrop for network television. This can be a source of great pride.
“I think it’s easy to write Ohtani vs. Guerrero. For us, it’s Toronto vs. Los Angeles,” Schneider says. “But that swing was huge.
“The sweeper, in my opinion, is a pitch designed to create a pop-up, and the swing that Vlad threw was elite.”
Game 5 is a pitching rematch of Game 1, pitting 22-year-old Trey Yesavage against veteran left-hander Blake Snell. The Blue Jays arrive from a normal night’s sleep with a chance to lead the series at 3-2.
Cue Herb Brooks? Not exactly.
Even if Clement can draw inspiration from his words, there’s no need to go over the wall. Even after a disastrous 18-inning journey.
“We didn’t need any of that. Every player in the clubhouse was ready to play today,” Clement said. “There was no big speech. There was no need for it. We know what we need to do.”
“It’s a testament to the character there.”
And maybe it’s time to start believing the Jays when they say that.
