The Dodgers return to Los Angeles with their hopes for a third title in serious jeopardy. The Brewers won Game 2 by a 7-4 margin to hold serve at home, putting them two games away from their first pennant in 44 years. They will have a chance to take a commanding lead when the National League Championship Series moves to Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. The Dodgers’ offense hasn’t improved in October, largely due to the poor form of their four-time MVP. Shohei Ohtani has only three hits, all singles, in 20 at-bats. Tonight he went 0-4 with a couple of strikeouts. Ohtani, who hasn’t pitched since early June due to a left knee injury, has been hampered by a right biceps problem in recent weeks. The Dodgers placed him on the 15-day injured list in mid-September, and it’s clear that Ohtani hasn’t been close to full strength for some time. Captain Dave Roberts already dropped Ohtani from the top two spots in the lineup to fourth or fifth in recent games. Now it’s gotten to the point where they’re not at all committed to having Ohtani in the lineup for their biggest game of the year. Roberts tells Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic that he will have a conversation with Ohtani during tomorrow’s travel day before making a decision on whether to sit him for Game 3. Ohtani’s power has evaporated in recent months. He only had one extra-base hit, a double, in the last five games of the regular season. It’s been almost two months since his last home run, when he drove Ryan Feltner deep into Coors Field on August 18. Ohtani did not hit a home run in his final 18 regular-season games, only the second time in his MLB career (September 2022 was the other) that he has gone this long without one. If the Dodgers remove Ohtani from the lineup, it would most likely mean the first playoff start for 21-year-old Josue De Paula. The Dodgers have brought the top prospect as a bench hitter after calling him up in September. De Paula hasn’t shied away from the moment, walking two in three postseason plate appearances. He took a crucial walk against Didier Fuentes to help the Dodgers take a decisive lead in Game 4 of their Division Series. De Paula kept Game 1 of the National League Championship Series alive by issuing a two-out walk against Trevor Megill in the ninth inning, but Mookie Betts flied out to end the game 2-1. De Paula is technically an outfielder, but the Dodgers clearly don’t want him to receive defensive assignments in October. He hit well in a two-week tryout as a designated hitter when Ohtani was on the disabled list. De Paula had a 27-homer season with a .303/.401/.547 line in Double-A this year and captained the top minor league level. Milwaukee has already named left-hander Robert Gasser as its starter for Game 3. The Dodgers plan to counterattack with Blake Snell. Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy suggested tonight that Dustin May, who pitched one inning of relief behind Logan Henderson tonight, will likely return to start Game 4 on Thursday.
