Why Shohei Ohtani is starting for Dodgers in Game 3 amid slump

Shohei Ohtani has been uncharacteristically bad for nearly two months now, a byproduct of left knee and right arm injuries that kept from pitching past early July. That isn't deterring Dave Roberts from plugging him into the Los Angeles Dodgers ' lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. Roberts announced Ohtani made the lineup on Tuesday, explaining that the two-way superstar is "convicted" his slump is nearing an end. Los Angeles certainly needs that to be the case after falling behind the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0. "He was adamant that he can help us," Roberts said .