Shohei Ohtani's struggles continue as Dodgers are swept by Cubs

The stage was set for an intentional walk.

The Dodgers had the potential go-ahead runs in scoring position. First base was open with two out in the sixth. And, in his fourth at-bat of the night against Chicago Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, none other than Shohei Ohtani was at the plate.

For much of his Dodgers tenure over the last two seasons, such a situation would usually trigger an automatic “four” signal from the opposing dugout.

For much of his Dodgers tenure, after all, Ohtani has been one of the best hitters on the planet.

Lately, however, the reigning National League MVP has been slumping. Considerably.

Entering Wednesday’s sixth-inning at-bat, he was just one for 10 since returning from the paternity list this last weekend. Going back to April 5, he was batting only .232 over his last 14 games.

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Against that backdrop, Cubs manager Craig Counsell stood motionless in the dugout. Even with a right-hander warming and Mookie Betts on deck, he let Boyd work to the game’s biggest star.

In the Cubs’ 7-6 victory over the Dodgers, it proved to be a prescient decision. Despite working a 2-and-0 count, Ohtani chased on a fastball that was well up and well inside. His soft pop out to shortstop extinguished the Dodgers’ best chance to rally.

Unlike so many other highlight stretches since his arrival in Los Angeles, the $700-million slugger looked incapable of turning the tide.

As the Dodgers (16-9) return from their second-straight losing trip to open the season — after going 2-4 in Philadelphia and Washington earlier this month, this week’s two losses at Wrigley left the club with a 2-3 record on this five-game swing through Texas and Chicago — there are plenty of names on the roster posting sub-par production.

Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts are both batting in the .250s to this point (despite a three-hit night from Betts on Wednesday that snapped a one for 22 slump). Everyone at the bottom of the order is hitting .200 or worse (despite the Nos. 6-9 hitters on Wednesday combining for five hits, including a home run from Andy Pages).

Even a once-stout bullpen hasn’t started to waver, following up a late-game collapse on Tuesday with a creaky showing in Wednesday’s pre-determined bullpen game (three of the runs were allowed by recently called up depth arm Noah Davis; the other four belonged to rookie left-hander Jack Dreyer, snapping his streak of nine consecutive scoreless outings).

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Still, no one’s struggles have loomed larger than Ohtani’s.

And as the Dodgers as try to even out the up-and-down play that has marked this opening month, there is no one more equipped to provide a steadying presence.

For all the other talent on their roster, so much of their success still depends on their leadoff man.

Ohtani did aid one rally Wednesday, poking a softly hit single to right field that loaded the bases in the top of the third. Two batters later, Teoscar Hernández (another recently slumping hitter who found his swing during a four-hit series at Wrigley) laced a two-run single to left.

Despite Ohtani flying out in the fifth, the Dodgers scored three more runs in that inning, with Betts lining an RBI double to left before Hernández belted a two-run home run that gave him 22 RBIs (most on the team and fourth-most in the NL).

Still, after Davis was knocked around in a three-run fourth and Dreyer was punished for walking the bases loaded in his four-run fifth, the Dodgers needed more from their offense. And even with a golden opportunity to snap out of his recent slump, neither Ohtani nor anyone else from the club’s lineup could provide it.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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