Mets Pitcher Wants to Copy Padres' Success in Slowing Down Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani

Maren Angus-Coombs | Oct 16, 2024

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The New York Mets are feeling confident as they head into Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday in New York, with Luis Severino taking the mound.

Severino believes he has the blueprint to slow down the Los Angeles Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani, and he’s been a key part of the Mets’ rotation that’s delivered them this far.

When it comes to facing Ohtani, Severino has a clear plan.

"For me, I would go to see how Yu Darvish pitched to him, the recent righty, how they attacked him," he said. "Like you say, he's a great hitter. So I have to be careful. But if I can pick my spot, execute my pitches, I think I'll be good."

Ohtani has faced Severino eight times in his career, all while playing for the Angels. He’s gone 3-for-6 with a double, a home run, and an RBI, along with two walks and one strikeout. Severino knows it won’t be easy to follow Darvish’s exact approach, but he’s going to do his best.

"Darvish has, like, 10 different pitches. It will be tough, but I can learn something," Severino added.

While Sean Manaea’s Game 2 performance was impressive, and Jose Quintana has provided stability, it’s Severino who now has the task of leading them in this contest.

Severino’s playoff history has been a bit rocky, going back to his 2017 postseason debut with the Yankees when he lasted just a third of an inning against the Twins in the Wild Card game. The following year, he had another tough outing, getting knocked around by the Red Sox in Game 3 of the ALDS.

Despite this, Severino is focused and ready for the challenge this time around.

"They're here for a reason," Severino said about the Dodgers. "They have a good lineup. They showed a lot in the first game, the second game, too. When you've got in the same lineup two or three MVPs, that says so much. They have a good lineup, just need to be prepared for that."

But Severino isn’t dwelling on the past. When asked how he’s preparing for the upcoming game, he kept it simple.

"For me, just going to go through some videos. Like I said before, see the matches, the past matches, see them take at-bats. And then I'm just going to forget everything, go to my house, probably play a little video games and that will be it, don't worry about tomorrow."

And what’s his game of choice? With a grin, Severino answered, "Call of Duty."