Fans bash Shohei Ohtani following Dodgers 6-7 loss vs. Cubs

Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers were swept by the Chicago Cubs after a 7-6 defeat at Wrigley Field on Wednesday. The three-time MVP received flak from Dodgers fans after their third defeat in four games.

Following a strong start to the 2025 season, Shohei Ohtani's numbers have slumped in April. Since his return from the paternity list, the Japanese phenom has struggled at the plate, going 1-for-12 in his last three games.

He was targeted by Dodgers fans as the reigning World Series winners suffered consecutive defeats against a spirited Cubs.

"Ohtani has been an easy out lately," wrote a fan.

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"I don't want to hear anything about Ohtani's "dad strength" ever again because there is clearly no such thing. He has contributed nothing the past three games," wrote another fan.

" Ohtaniahas been useless. Wtf is going on? Such an embarrassing mini-series," wrote a vexed fan.

Other fans called out the entire team for their collective performances against Chicago.

"This team is hard to watch right now. No energy, no urgency — where’s the fire we saw last season? They don’t look hungry at all. It’s like they forgot what it takes to win—mediocre effort at best," wrote a fan.

"It’s almost like we don’t want to win."

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Dave Roberts reflects on Shohei Ohtani's uncharacteristic swing

The Cubs' come-from-behind win on Wednesday was assisted by some lackluster performance by the Dodgers. After the home team took a 7-6 lead in the game, the Dodgers had Shohei Ohtani on the plate in the sixth inning with runners on second and third base.

However, the Japanese superstar failed to make it count for the NL West team as he swung big in the ninth inning against Porter Hodge. Manager Dave Roberts reacted to his outing.

“Just got too big with the swing, where all you need is a base hit right there,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “If Shohei touches it, it’s a chance to slug it. … There was a little over-aggressiveness. The swing is a little bit longer than it typically is.”

The Dodgers are now 16-9 for the season after a 2-3 record in their last two road trips to Texas and Chicago. They will host the Pittsburgh Pirates for a three-game homestead after a break on Thursday.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash