Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani watches his solo home run leave Dodger Stadium on Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
They don’t know what their rotation will look like in October, and they don’t know how worn down their bullpen will be.
What the Dodgers know is this: They have Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani will give them a chance in October regardless of what their roster looks like, just as he did on Friday night in an 8-5 victory over the New York Yankees.
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How can a player who takes four or five at-bats on most nights have such an oversized influence on games? How can a player who bats once only two or three innings bring opponents to their knees? How can a three-time MVP be a better offensive player than he was in his historic 50-homer, 50-steal season last year?
“I have no words for it,” outfielder Michael Conforto said.
When Aaron Judge homered in the top of the first, Ohtani answered with a homer of his own in the bottom half of the inning.
When the Dodgers were down by three runs, Ohtani led off the sixth inning with another homer, this one making Yankees starter Max Fried strike the Kershaw Pose, back to the plate, hands on knees, head down. The blast ignited a four-run surge by the Dodgers that produced their first lead of the night.
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This was on a night in which Mookie Betts was sidelined with a broken toe, Evan Phillips was ruled out for the remainder of the season because of an upcoming elbow reconstruction, and the Dodgers had no choice but to start the unreliable Tony Gonsolin because three pitchers of their opening-day rotation were on the injured list.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, left, watches his solo home run leave Dodger Stadium as New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried, center, reacts and catcher Austin Wells watches during the sixth inning Friday. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Playing with a diminished roster, manager Dave Roberts did what he could before the game to downplay the significance of the World Series rematch against the Yankees, but Ohtani recognized the contest for what it was.
This was a statement game, and Ohtani made a statement.
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“We try to win each and every game, of course, but I think it’s a special atmosphere [against the Yankees,]” Ohtani said in Japanese. “I think it was huge to have taken the [first game] of the series.”
The homers were Ohtani’s 14th and 15th of May, which tied a single-month franchise record previously shared by only Pedro Guerrero and Duke…