Rockies pitchers on facing Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani

Someday, Victor Vodnik can current his three younger daughters, Ariel, Rose, and Viviana, with tales about his battles with Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.

But for the right here and now, give Vodnik props for chutzpah.

“That’s going to be awesome to tell them I faced Shohei Ohtani,” the Rockies’ late-game reliever stated. “But for me, hopefully, he says, ‘I got to face Victor Vodnik.’”

Ohtani and the mighty Dodgers, off to a 14-4 start, are scheduled to open a four-game sequence in opposition to the Rockies at Coors Field on Friday evening, climate allowing. If Yankee Stadium was the home that Babe Ruth constructed, Coors is the home that Ohtani wrecked. In 20 profession video games there, he is slashed .387/.452/.773 with seven dwelling runs, including a 476-foot rocket off Austin Gomber on June 18, 2024.

Friday evening, fellow Japanese participant Tomoyuki Sugano is scheduled to begin in opposition to the Dodgers. Sugano has confronted Ohtani in just one recreation within the majors, as a starter for Baltimore final season. That was on Sept. 7 when Ohtani linked for his forty seventh and forty eighth dwelling runs in his first two at-bats within the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory over the Orioles at Camden Yards.

“I don’t have a set game plan going in to face Shohei Ohtani yet,” Sugano told The Post throughout spring coaching. “Last year, he hit two home runs off me, so as a Japanese player, I would like to attack him and try to be productive.”

Ohtani will not pitch through the sequence in LoDo as a result of he began on Wednesday evening in New York in opposition to the Mets in Los Angeles’ 8-2 victory. Ohtani dominated, permitting only one run whereas hanging out 10 batters over six innings. The right-hander (who bats left-handed) generated 22 swings and misses. In three begins, his ERA is a sterling 0.50.

Ohtani didn’t hit on Wednesday as a result of he was nonetheless sore from being struck on the again of his proper shoulder by a pitch from the Mets’ David Peterson on Monday. However, Ohtani is predicted to be the designated hitter vs. the Rockies.

Ohtani, 31, has received 4 MVP awards up to now 5 years, all of them unanimously. The two-way participant needs one other jewel in his glittering crown.

“He wants a Cy Young,” Dodgers backup catcher Dalton Rushing told ESPN throughout spring coaching. “And you can tell with the way he’s carrying himself here recently.”

So perhaps it is a good factor, for Ohtani, that he is not beginning this time round at Coors Field. Last August, the Rockies hammered him for five runs in 4 innings. Ohtani gave up career-high-tying 9 hits because the Rockies rolled to an 8-3 victory.

That was Ohtani’s first regular-season begin at Coors Field, though he began for the American League within the 2021 All-Star Game, retiring all three batters he confronted whereas going 0 for two on the plate within the AL’s 5-2 victory over the National League. Ohtani was pitching for the Angels on the time.

‘You need to be continuously bobbing and weaving’

When Ohtani steps as much as the plate at Coors, Colorado’s pitchers know they’d higher deliver their finest stuff. Veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland has seen how the slugger can demolish a pitcher with good intentions however dangerous execution. Ohtani is 7 for 11 (.636) with two dwelling runs vs. Freeland.

“Every single night, on everybody’s lineup, he’s always circled on the card,” stated Freeland, who’s on the injured list with a sore shoulder. “He’s the man you say, ‘Don’t let him be the man to beat you, simply due to what he is able to on the offensive aspect of the ball.’ ”

However, Freeland informed a pitcher cannot be afraid to go after Ohtani.

“You don’t want to shy away from him; you definitely still want to attack him,” Freeland continued. “He’s still human, he’s still a baseball player like us, playing at the game’s highest level.”

Right-hander Ryan Feltner, who’s scheduled to begin Saturday evening’s recreation, has had success vs. the Dodgers’ star, limiting him to at least one double in seven at-bats.

“I struck him out on three pitches in LA to start the game, so that was cool,” Feltner recalled, trying again to the Dodgers’ 6-2 win over the Rockies on April 15 final season.

But Feltner wasn’t gloating.

“I would like to say he’s just another guy with a bat, but that’s not true,” Feltner stated. “He’s bought an unimaginable skill to cowl a variety of totally different areas of the plate with unimaginable energy. There are actually just a few different gamers who can do this. (Houston’s) Yordan Alverez is one other one.

“There are certain guys who can take swings in a part of the zone where they shouldn’t be able to do damage, but they do. You have to be constantly bobbing and weaving with Ohtani.”

Freeland, who is aware of baseball historical past, appreciates the problem of facing the Japanese legend.

“Going up against the very best, the 1% or the 1%, is always fun,” he stated. “When you come out on top, it’s even better. Being able to face a guy like that, and being able to look back years from now and say, ‘I battled against arguably the greatest baseball player we will ever see in our lifetime,’ is pretty cool.”

Vodnik calls Ohtani a “great player,” including, “The things he’s doing are unbelievable.”

However, the assured Vodnik shouldn’t be shy about sharing his recreation plan on dispatching Ohtani.

“First, I have to trust my stuff,” stated Vodnik, who has restricted expertise facing Ohtani — 2 for 4 with one strikeout and one stroll in 5 plate appearances.

“I know I can beat him up-and-in by throwing changeups,” Vodnik continued. “Or backfoot sliders that are well executed. I don’t see him as any different than anybody else.”

Vodnik’s recreation plan is to make use of Ohtani’s energy in opposition to him.