Blue Jays Finally Learn to Walk Shohei Ohtani One At-Bat Too Late

The Toronto Blue Jays finally figured out how to contain the offensive firepower of Shohei Ohtani, even if the realization came one at-bat too late to help them get ahead in the World Series.

The winning formula was right there all along: Just walk him.

All it took to knock some sense into Toronto manager John Schneider on Monday night was Ohtani knocking the cover off ball at Dodger Stadium, producing a Hollywood sizzle reel of legendary proportions. Ohtani began Game 3 by going double-homer-double-homer — becoming the first batter to get four extra-base hits in a World Series game — before Jays pitchers started putting up four fingers for the intentional walk.

Ohtani finished 4-for-4 with five walks (four intentional, but all on purpose), turning into a bystander in a 6-5 victory for the Dodgers in a record-tying 18 innings that ended on Freddie Freeman's solo home run off Brendon Little.

All of it served as a preview to Ohtani taking the mound to start Game 4 on Tuesday night, trying to give the Dodgers a 3-1 lead in their quest to repeat as champions. But how can anyone expect Ohtani to pitch at 100%, or without elevated danger of injury, after the elongated events of Game 3?

"I want to go to sleep as soon as possible so I can get ready," Ohtani said in a quick postgame interview with Fox Sports.

Not only did Ohtani just finish a game that lasted 6 hours, 39 minutes, but he spent some uncertain moments battling leg cramps. It was a battle of attrition for both sides, with the Blue Jays losing slugger George Springer to what appeared to be a muscle injury in his side in the seventh inning. Already hobbled by a knee injury, Springer's further absence would be doubly costly to the AL champs.

Ohtani pitching effectively in Game 4 is one detail to watch, and even if we shouldn't doubt him, what about swinging the bat? Ohtani's tying home run in the seventh, coming on a grooved fastball by right-hander Seranthony Domínguez that could not have caught more of the plate, might be the final time he sees a pitch in the zone for the rest of the Series. That would be a shame for those without a rooting interest who are watching, because Ohtani is putting on a show of shows, reaching base nine straight times for a record in the postseason.

It's funny, though. Two former pitchers watching the game and commenting on social media had different takes about Domínguez's debatable Ohtani dinger. Hall of Famer Jim Palmer said it was too bad that nobody ever bothered to teach Domínguez how to pitch, because he should be much more effective with the stuff he has. He also called Domínguez a nice guy, so there's that.

Brandon McCarthy, who used to pitch for the Dodgers, said teams should be punished on four-pitch walks by moving the resulting baserunner to second base. Make it like an intentional double. Outrageous! But you can see where he's coming from, because everyone not rooting against him wants to see Ohtani hit.

No matter: Until MLB goes Full Rob Manfred with another Radical Ohtani Rule, the Blue Jays shouldn't bother to pitch to Shohei ever again. The Jays are in the Trying To Win the World Series Business, or should be, and not the Let's Give Everyone a Good Show by Letting Ohtani Swing the Bat Business. It's not a coincidence that once the Jays started walking Ohtani, the Dodgers had a hard time scoring runs. It took them 11 innings to get back on the board again, trying to push home a measly run with the regular humans in their lineup. Don't. Help. Them.

It would be better for the Jays to take their chances in Game 4 with anybody else in the Dodgers lineup, even Mookie Betts, Max Muncy or Freeman, who a year ago memorably also ended Game 1 of the World Series against the Yankees with a grand slam.

"This one took a little longer," Freeman noted when comparing the walk-offs.

That's right: One at-bat too many. If the Jays had wised up sooner and put down four fingers for Ohtani in the seventh, too, chances are the game never goes beyond nine innings and it's Toronto coming back with a 2-1 Series lead.

The Jays probably blew their best chance to win, but in a Series where the Dodgers already had to use Clayton Kershaw in relief with the bases loaded, and had Yoshinobu Yamamoto warming up in the bullpen in the 18th, more strange circumstances could push the odds back in their favor.