ATLANTA (AP) — Shohei Ohtani looked unhittable.
Then, with a stunning outburst, the Atlanta Braves showed why they are the reigning World Series champions and one of the hottest teams in baseball.
Ohtani threw six dominant innings, only to surrender homers to Matt Olson and Orlando Arcia in a seven-run seventh that carried the Braves to an 8-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
Atlanta resumed their winning ways following the All-Star break, getting six shutout innings from Charlie Morton and a sudden dose of long ball after being totally overmatched by Ohtani (9-5) the first two times through the batting order.
Mixing all of his pitches to near perfection, the Japanese superstar faced only one batter above the minimum through six frames, surrendering a double to Austin Riley leading off the second. Ohtani struck out 11, marking the fifth straight game in which he’s fanned double figures, and only went to three balls on two hitters.
After throwing just 71 pitches — 53 of them for strikes — Ohtani appeared to run out of steam in the seventh.
Dansby Swanson led off with a walk and Ohtani left a splitter up in the zone to Olson, who launched a 355-foot drive into the Chop House restaurant in right for his 18th homer of the season and fifth in the last seven games.
“He’s a very talented arm,” Olson said. “I was able to get a pitch over the middle.”
The Braves were just getting warmed up. Riley, Travis d’Arnaud and Eddie Rosario followed with three straight singles, the last of which drove in another run.
Marcell Ozuna flied out, but Arcia — who came on in the third after starting second baseman Robinson Canó left the game with dizziness — sent a drive into the seats in right-center for a three-run homer that finished off Ohtani.
In his first two…