Shaikin: Shohei Ohtani should fix the Dodgers' postseason problems. So why not?

This year would be different.

This year would be about winning a postseason series.

This year would be the year that the best player in baseball made that happen.

Or not.

Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers are on the verge of elimination from the National League Division Series. The San Diego Padres defeated the Dodgers 6-5 on Tuesday, giving the Dodgers either a win of two straight games or a third straight loss in their first round game.

Read more: Plaschke: It's happening again. Dodgers are on the verge of another ugly October encore

Ten years ago, baseball's best player led a Southern California team to the playoffs. He would be unanimously voted his league's Most Valuable Player.

He was Mike Trout and his Angels would be eliminated in the first round. In his postseason debut, Trout had one hit – a home run – in 12 at-bats in three games. He reached base four times.

Ohtani should be unanimously voted the most valuable player in his league.

However, in his postseason debut, Ohtani had three hits — including a home run — in 13 at-bats. He reached base three times.

He struck out six times, more than anyone else in the series and twice as many times as anyone on the Padres. After stealing 59 bases in the regular season, Ohtani did not steal a base in the postseason.

Performance in the summer guarantees nothing in October. Consider Aaron Judge, the likely MVP of the American League. The judge is one to seven this October. He went 1-for-16 in his previous postseason series, the 2022 AL Championship Series.

Fair or not, expectations are higher when your team rewards you with a $700 million contract.

When Dodgers owner Mark Walter recruited Ohtani, Walter told him that he viewed the last decade as a failure. Every year in the last decade included a postseason appearance, but only one year ended with a championship.

The underlying message to Ohtani: We want to change this and we need you to do it.

The Padres have two chances to end the Dodgers' season this week. If so, the Dodgers wouldn't move up any further than they did last year when the Angels hired Ohtani.

Read more: The Dodgers can't overcome the disastrous inning loss in NLDS Game 3 to the Padres

End of the world feeling? Not to Ohtani.

“We just have to win two games in a row,” he said. “I don’t really feel like there’s no tomorrow. We win two games and we’re doing well.”

On Tuesday, Ohtani struck out twice, flied out and had a broken-bat single. Three of his four attacks left the bases empty, giving him minimal chance of doing maximum damage.

“I think the moment certainly won’t be too big for him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think they make some good pitches. Obviously he had a good game in Game 1 and was somewhat contained (since then), but still threw a punch tonight.

“So yeah, I think he’s still doing well. He will be willing to make a mistake. And I still feel good about having Shohei with me tomorrow to do some good things.”

Freddie Freeman shook his head. He understands what fans might expect from Ohtani, but he also understands the reality of October.

“He’s had a good streak so far,” Freeman said. “I know everyone wants us to hit .400. We're facing ones and twos and great bullpens. We’ll throw in some good shots.”

The Padres bullpen, which was significantly upgraded by general manager AJ Preller at the trade deadline, has a 1.69 earned run average in this series.

Left-hander Tanner Scott, who was the best reliever at the deadline, faced Ohtani three times in the series, once in each game. Scott beat Ohtani all three times.

“Obviously he’s a wonderful pitcher,” Ohtani said. “I think what's important on that side is having a solid approach and being in solid shape in the batter's box.”

In his run-winning hit against Scott on Tuesday, Ohtani hit a slider for what was called the third strike.

“It was good pitching, and it would have been good to at least foul the ball,” Ohtani said. “But the fastball before that was hittable, so it would have been good if I had hit it.”

Of course, that's not all on Ohtani. The Dodgers are hitting .216 in the series. Their starting pitchers have an earned run average of 10.13.

But Ohtani led the NL in on-base percentage that season. However, of the nine starters in the Dodgers' lineup, Max Muncy is the only one with a lower on-base percentage than Ohtani.

Whether you prefer to call Ohtani the leader or the $700 million man, that just doesn't work.

Read more: Shaikin: How “Beat LA” entered the Dodgers-Padres rivalry lexicon

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.