NLDS Game 3: One Takeaway as Dodgers Drop Shohei Ohtani to No. 5

The two-time reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are vulnerable right now with the National League Division Series set to move to Atlanta on Tuesday night. The Braves took down the Dodgers in Game 2, despite rolling with a bullpen day led by Ray Kerr.

Now, with the series knotted at one game apiece, the Braves have home-field advantage. The Dodgers and Braves both need to win two more games to advance to the National League Championship Series. There are a maximum of three games left in the NLDS and two of them will be played in Atlanta. Plus, because of the bullpen day in Game 2, the Braves will have lefty Chris Sale on the hill in Game 3 with a chance to take a series lead.

The Dodgers' offense hasn't been firing on all cylinders against Atlanta and now it has to face a guy who had a 2.16 ERA in the regular season on Tuesday night. In response, Los Angeles opted to roll with a new-look lineup with Shohei Ohtani in an unfamiliar spot in what is a perfect example of the strategy of the game taking over in the playoffs, regardless of precedent.

Ohtani will bat fifth, which is the lowest he's batted in any order since 2020, according to Jack Harris of the California Post.

"This is the lowest Shohei Ohtani hit in a batting order since 2020 with the Angels," Harris wrote.

Playoff Baseball Is The Best

Oct 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out during the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves in game two of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On top of this, it's actually the first time he's batted lower than second in a Dodgers playoff lineup, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

Prior to today, Shohei had never batted lower than 2nd in a Dodgers postseason lineup.@MLBNetwork @MLBNetworkRadio https://t.co/M67kDeSPbI
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 6, 2026

This is a perfect representation of the strategy that comes out in the Major League Baseball postseason. Every single pitch is heightened because all it really takes is one good swing and a solid pitching performance to earn a win. Think of Game 1 of the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays, for example. Drew Rasmussen was nearly perfect and the Rays came out on top, 1-0. The difference in that game was a homer by Jonathan Aranda. One swing gave the Rays the lead that they would keep. Then, they carried the momentum into a Game 2 win.

You have to think about every little detail while building a playoff matchup because you need to give yourself as many chances as possible to score a single run. When it comes to Game 3 between the Dodgers and the Braves, Los Angeles is vulnerable right now. If Sale comes out and shoves, which he has all season, there's a real chance the Braves come away on top and are one win away from knocking out the reigning champs by the end of the night.

While Ohtani is one of the very best players on the planet, he's 1-for-8 in the series with two strikeouts and hasn't hit Sale well throughout his career. He's 3-for-15 with a double and five strikeouts against the lefty. With Ohtani batting fifth, the Dodgers are sending three righties up to bat ahead of him (Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez and Will Smith). The only lefty ahead of Ohtani in the order is Freddie Freeman.

This is playoff baseball we're talking about. It doesn't matter if it has been six years since a guy has batted fifth in an order, as long as the club thinks a lineup gives them maximum opportunities. In this case, Sale is a tough matchup for Ohtani, so he's going down. Playoff baseball is incredible thanks to the chess moves and countermoves we see. Now, the question is how will the Braves respond?

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