Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s magical Game 4 performance during the NLCS.
Shohei Ohtani hit three monstrous home runs, which traveled over 400 feet each, and also recorded 10 strikeouts while delivering six shutout innings.
More news:Â Dodgers Announce Historic Shohei Ohtani News During NLCS vs Brewers
His performance earned him the NLCS MVP award and it once again showed why Ohtani is so special and arguably the best player in the sport.
After the game, Dave Roberts was asked about his reaction to Ohtani’s historic performance during Game 4.
“That was probably the greatest postseason performance of all time. There’s a reason he’s the greatest player on the planet,” Roberts said.
Ohtani is one of the best hitters in baseball, able to get on base at a high clip while also slugging and making quality contact often. On Friday, he crushed three different pitches, smoking them off the bat and making them go at least 400 feet.
When he stepped on the mound, his pitches had ridiculous movement, making his splitter have hitters guessing. His fastball was around 99 mph, 100 mph with lateral movement.
More news:Â Dodgers All-Star Sends Clear Message to Bullpen Amid Postseason Run
Before Game 4, there was no clear candidate for the award, with starters Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto the two best-performing players on the team.
However, they only made one start, and pitchers who make one appearance rarely win the award.
The series ended with a clear winner — Shohei Ohtani. It was a shocking development considering his postseason slump, where he was averaging .103 between the NLDS and NLCS.
Roberts spoke about the frustration Ohtani experienced ahead of his Game 4 masterclass.
“Yeah,” Roberts said. “I think that’s fair, and I think that’s expected. I don’t mind it. I like the edge. He’s obviously a very, very talented player, and we’re counting on him.
“So for him to realize his own personal expectations and if they’re not realized then certainly there’s frustration, so he’s just a great competitor.”
Ohtani did continue to compete at the plate, and he finally delivered on his talent, winning the series for Los Angeles and helping the Dodgers return to the World Series for a second straight year.
More news: Dave Roberts Sends Clear Message to Critics Saying Dodgers are ‘Buying’ World Series
For all the latest MLB news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.