Jose Quintana knows his mission for the National League Championship Series.
Whether he starts or comes out of the bullpen, Quintana will likely pitch important innings for the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 on Thursday, hoping to prevent the Los Angeles Dodgers from taking a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven format.
Quintana is a soft contact specialist, and he is also tough on lefties. And that matters especially because the Dodgers have two lefties, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, who can destroy even the best game plans.
Both Ohtani and Freeman are headed to the Hall of Fame one day, and either one can single-handedly win a game against the Dodgers on any given night. And while putting a lefty on the mound is statistically the most effective way to neutralize them both, it’s far from a guarantee.
So, heading into what will likely be a multi-round outing with at least one matchup against Ohtani and Freeman, Quintana is happy to acknowledge what a daunting task he faces (without shying away from it).
“I watched videos, the whole lineup… Shohei, Freddie, all the lefties are really, really tough,” Quintana said, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “They’re some of the best hitters in baseball. It’s always a challenge.”
Ohtani is 2 for 6 lifetime against Quintana, but both hits were home runs. Freeman is 5 for 20 with a home run and a double, totaling an .873 OPS.
Overall, hitters on the Dodgers roster have gone 38-for-156 against Quintana over his career, with an OPS of .768.
Quintana views this opportunity to face the Dodgers in front of his home crowd in the most positive light possible.
“To have this opportunity, I think it’s a privilege,” Quintana said, according to DiComo. “Right now we’re focused on winning one game, the first game. And then we can focus on another game. But Los Angeles, there’s always a big crowd. It’s huge. The fans are amazing. We’ve been here before, so we know what it’s like.”
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