Things didn’t look too difficult on Saturday night for Shohei Ohtani, who went 2-for-5 with three runs batted in in the first game of the postseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the first-ever MLB postseason game for Ohtani. The Dodgers won 7-5 on their home field.

Ohtani obviously hasn’t played for a team that has qualified for the postseason yet, despite winning two MVP awards with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023.

After the game, Ohtani shared what he considers the “hardest” part of a first postseason game as he talked about his fellow teammate’s struggles.

Asked about Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s struggles on the mound, Ohtani explained, “It’s really hard to play loose in the first game of a playoff series,” through an interpreter after the Dodgers won. “I’m sure Yoshinobu wasn’t happy with his performance today.”

In addition to being the first game of the series, the Dodgers had five days of rest since earning a first-round bye in the National League.

Although it is the first MLB playoff game for Ohtani, he played deep into the postseason during his time in the Nippon Professional Baseball league.