Shohei Ohtani

2022 - 4 - 21

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Image courtesy of "CBS sports.com"

Angels' Shohei Ohtani makes history even before he takes the ... (CBS sports.com)

To repeat, until Ohtani on Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park, no starting pitcher had logged two plate appearances in a game before ever throwing a pitch.

His gem on the mound lowered his ERA for the season from 7.56 to 4.40, and his 2 for 4 night at the plate (with a walk) lifted his seasonal OPS from .691 to .743. That's still not vintage Ohtani, which means the (first-place) Angels might be able to bank on improving numbers from this point forward. Whatever the case, he provided a night to remember on Wednesday. In related matters, he also racked up 20 swings and misses on the night. The Angels' two-way superstar and the 2021 AL MVP was batting leadoff in Joe Maddon's lineup, and in the top of the first Ohtani and his mates were able to hang six runs on Houston starter Jake Odorizzi, who lasted just 2/3 of an inning. Ohtani's 12 strikeouts ties a career high, and that comes against a Houston lineup that's been difficult to strike out in recent seasons. This, of course, is partly a function of the DH being in place in the AL since 1973 and in the NL pitchers almost always batting at the very bottom of the order.

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Image courtesy of "bleachernation.com"

Pshhh ... Shohei Ohtani Couldn't Even Throw a Perfect Game Last ... (bleachernation.com)

I was immersed in 18 innings of cruddy White Sox baseball (and NBA Playoffs action) when I saw a tweet joking about the possibility of Shohei Ohtani ...

Oh, and of course, Ohtani went 2-4 with a pair of RBI and the fourth hardest-hit ball (102.9 MPH) of the evening at the dish to help his cause. But he eventually worked around that (and a Jeremy Pena walk) to finish his night with six innings of one-hit baseball and 12 strikeouts. I was immersed in 18 innings of cruddy White Sox baseball (and NBA Playoffs action) when I saw a tweet joking about the possibility of Shohei Ohtani throwing a perfect game with 20 strikeouts.

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Image courtesy of "PaperCity Magazine"

Shohei Ohtani Finds His Killer Instinct, Shows the Astros the Angels ... (PaperCity Magazine)

“I think he just had enough of Houston giving him a hard time and he wanted to go out there tonight and do something about it,” Angels manager Joe Maddon says ...

This Ohtani leap is what the Astros really should be potentially worried about. Shohei Ohtani lives in the spotlight. Now, Dusty Baker’s team needs to consider what that means for the future. By making the Astros’ usually fearsome lineup look like they’re swinging with inflatable novelty bats. So much for the grand debut of those Space City uniforms that’s been setting sales records in the team shops. Then he got the always eager Jose Siri to hit an infield popup that seemed to go high enough to threaten a blimp. He was in the driver’s seat the whole night.” If you listen to Maddon, who has been involved in some crazy turnarounds in baseball including the Chicago Cubs winning a World Series, Ohtani stood up to the Astros monster and showed his guys the way. Well it’s much too early to fret over Dusty Baker’s team being 6-6 (no matter what Astros Twitter will tell you), it may already be time to concede that this could be a very different Angels team. Ohtani’s prized right arm is covered in an ice wrap so thick that it could qualify as carry-on luggage, but that is the only sign that his near perfect night taxed him at all. Shohei Ohtani made it even harder on the Astros this night. Hitting a baseball may be the hardest thing to do in sports.

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Image courtesy of "SportsGrid"

Shohei Ohtani Fans 12, Allows 1 Hit In Victory Vs. Astros (SportsGrid)

Kevin and Donnie recap the dominant performance from Los Angeles Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani in the team's win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night.

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Image courtesy of "CNN"

Shohei Ohtani has brush with perfection in history-making evening ... (CNN)

He was throwing a perfect game until giving up one hit and one walk over six scoreless innings -- to go with 12 strikeouts -- in the Los Angeles Angels' 6-0 ...

From him, it's the best I've seen." And again, from the field level, it was incredible. Ohtani used his deadly slider throughout the game, throwing it 35 times.

Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Dazzles in first win (CBSSports.com)

Ohtani (1-2) picked up the win in Wednesday's 6-0 victory over the Astros, scattering one hit and one walk over six scoreless innings while striking out 12.

- Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Swipes first bag - Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Struggles on the mound - Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Goes deep twice

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Image courtesy of "WHBL News"

MLB roundup: Shohei Ohtani fans 12 as Angels blank Astros (WHBL News)

Shohei Ohtani carried a perfect game into the sixth inning and also played a central role with his bat in the first-inning uprising that keyed the vis...

Berrios (1-0) held the Red Sox in check over six innings, allowing one run on eight hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Left-hander Gore (1-0), the Padres’ first-round pick (third overall) in the 2017 draft, allowed four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in five innings. Gilbert (2-0) allowed six hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out four. A’s starter Daulton Jefferies (1-2) gave up the unearned run and fanned five in six innings. Reds’ right-handed starter Vladimir Gutierrez (0-3) gave up three runs on just two hits, four walks and two hit batters with two strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Baltimore’s Jordan Lyles (1-1) struck out six in five scoreless innings. Losing pitcher Jimmy Lambert (0-2) allowed five hits, two runs and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. The Reds have lost nine in a row and have gone 81 innings since they last held a lead after a complete inning. Twins starter Chris Paddack (0-2) gave up solo runs in the first and fifth innings to pick up the loss during his five-inning stint. Merrill Kelly (1-0) allowed one run on six hits over six innings. It was the only hit he allowed in a season-high six innings. Astros right-hander Jake Odorizzi (0-2) continued his early-season struggles by issuing four walks while recording only two outs, with the final free pass issued to Tyler Wade with the bases loaded.

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Image courtesy of "Halo Hangout"

Shohei Ohtani almost goes perfect while continuing to route Astros ... (Halo Hangout)

Shohei Ohtani continued his 2022 pitching domination of the Houston Astros on the ...

Whether one believes that was the right call or not, Maddon would not do the same at least for the circumstances he was given on Wednesday. Ohtani went six innings, giving up just one hit and walking just one batter while striking out 12. He had somehow struck out each Astros batter at least one time in those first five innings, and had struck out 11 through five.

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Image courtesy of "Front Office Sports"

Shohei Ohtani Extension Leverage Would Soar with 2nd MVP (Front Office Sports)

Angels' generational talent Shohei Ohtani is in line for a massive contract extension.

- He’s eligible for Arbitration 3 after the season and would be a UFA in 2024. - The 27-year-old is in the second year of a two-year, $8.5M deal signed in 2021 to avoid arbitration. After a slow start to the season at the plate and on the mound, Ohtani looks back on track in his bid for a second consecutive AL MVP — and a massive contract extension.

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Image courtesy of "Los Angeles Times"

Why Shohei Ohtani and Angels can beat Astros for AL West title (Los Angeles Times)

The Angels are in first place in the American League West after 13 games thanks to an offense that has been a consistent run producer all season.

But they should be “happier,” because their team will have either made the playoffs or made a serious run at a playoff spot, and that would be a huge upgrade over the past seven years. The first: Manager Buck Showalter of the Yankees walked Barry Bonds — perfectly understandable — and the next batter struck out to end the game. He’s already seeing more pitches to hit with Trout and Rendon, who sat out most of 2021, batting behind him, and I think he’ll be even more productive if the Angels can find a competent leadoff man and drop Ohtani to the second spot. The bullpen was the major focus of offseason acquisitions, and as long as everyone stays healthy it should be a strength throughout the season. Besides dominating on the mound Wednesday, Ohtani also had two hits and two RBIs. He’s batting only .236, but that figure is at .300 in his last seven games. Developing them through the farm system is by far the preferred route and the Angels have made progress there. If Archie Bradley (6.75 ERA) regains his form, the Angels have the makings of a deep and effective bullpen. That’s a lot of ground to make up and winning two of three in April doesn’t do more than bring them a step or two closer to the dominant team in the AL West. DiGiovanna: Definitely. The bullpen as a whole ranked 24th in baseball with a 4.34 ERA entering Thursday, but the three arms in which the Angels invested most heavily — closer Raisel Iglesias, left-hander Aaron Loup and right-hander Ryan Tepera — have combined to give up three earned runs and four hits, striking out 18 and walking two in 18 1/3 innings for a 1.47 ERA. Iglesias has been dominant. His velocity should improve as he regains strength and stamina in his return from Tommy John surgery, so there is no reason to think he won’t team with Ohtani to give the Angels two dominant front-of-the-rotation starters. Figure in budding superstar Jared Walsh and surprisingly prolific Max Stassi and, yes, the Angels just might slug — and run — their way to nipping at the Astros’ heels. Henson: The Angels do have a multifaceted offense and a deep lineup.

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