Dodgers Manager Criticizes Ohtani's At-Bats; Sasaki Hits New Top Speed
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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has criticized star player Shohei Ohtani's recent at-bats.
Roberts said Ohtani has been chasing too many pitches outside the strike zone.
In baseball, swinging at these 'ball' pitches usually leads to bad results for hitters.
The manager's comments suggest he wants Ohtani to be more selective at the plate.
Meanwhile, teammate Roki Sasaki gave Dodgers fans a reason to celebrate.
The pitcher threw a fastball at 164.3 kilometers per hour.
This was his fastest pitch since he moved to the United States to play.
The speed makes Sasaki one of the top four fastest pitchers in this year's postseason so far.
His strong performance comes at an important time for the team.
The Dodgers have been playing the Atlanta Braves in a short series.
After two games, the two teams have split the results, winning one game each.
First baseman Freddie Freeman spoke honestly about the team's situation.
He called it the biggest challenge the team currently faces.
Freeman's comments came after the Dodgers' loss to the Braves.
The team will need to improve quickly if they want to advance further in the postseason.
Fans are watching closely to see how Ohtani responds to his manager's criticism.
Sasaki's improved speed could also help the Dodgers' pitching staff in coming games.
Vocabulary5 words
- at-bats
- the turns a batter gets to hit in baseball
- pitches
- balls thrown by the pitcher to the batter
- selective
- careful about choosing only good options
- postseason
- games played after the regular season to decide the champion
- challenge
- a difficult problem that needs to be solved
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Quiz
Answer key
1. He chases pitches outside the strike zone too often 2. It was his fastest pitch since arriving in the US 3. They split the games, one win and one loss
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has criticized star player Shohei Ohtani's recent _____.
Roberts said Ohtani has been chasing too many _____ outside the strike zone.
The manager's comments suggest he wants Ohtani to be more _____ at the plate.
The pitcher threw a fastball at _____ kilometers per hour.
This was his fastest pitch since he moved to the _____ to play.
The speed makes Sasaki one of the top four fastest pitchers in this year's _____ so far.
The Dodgers have been playing the Atlanta _____ in a short series.
After two games, the two teams have _____ the results, winning one game each.
First baseman Freddie Freeman spoke honestly about the team's _____.
He called it the biggest _____ the team currently faces.
Discussion questions
- Why might a manager criticize a star player publicly?
- Do you think speed is the most important skill for a pitcher? Why or why not?
- How important is it for a team to fix problems quickly during a postseason series?
- What qualities make a good team leader, like Freeman seems to be here?
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