World Series champion Dodgers take control against Phillies headed into Game 2 of NLDS

PHILADELPHIA: The Phillies had Shohei Ohtani on the ropes on the mound and tied up at the plate, the Dodgers’ two-way star seemingly losing the air of invincibility that surrounds him.
Ohtani the ace recovered, and he did it one swing-and-a-miss at a time against a string of All-Stars in the Phillies’ lineup.
Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper all disappeared in the playoffs again in Game 1 of the NL Division Series, a combined 1-for-11 effort with six strikeouts and no RBIs in the 5-3 loss.
Game 2 is Monday at Citizens Bank Park, you know, that boisterous ballpark known for its so-called four hours of hell that is supposed to rattle the nerves of even the most steeled players.
Heck, even a three-time MVP such as Ohtani — who struck out four times Saturday night — acknowledged ahead of the game that he was a bit anxious to face the fans.
Here’s the headache for the Phillies: They have wasted home-field advantage with four losses in their last five postseason home games.

So they enter Game 2 with cold bats, have lost that extra oomph that 45,000 fans usually provide and have to try to regain their playoff mojo against the reigning World Series champions and two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.
“I don’t sense any extra pressure,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Sunday.
He might not sense it, but the fan base does, especially with little room for error — or Matt Strahm meatballs — in the best-of-five series.
Ohtani retired 15 of the final 17 batters he faced, and Turner, Schwarber and Harper went 0 for 9 with five strikeouts against the right-hander.
From two-way sensation to two-time Cy Young postseason standout, the series won’t necessarily get easier for the Phillies.
Snell, who missed four months of