ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani struck out a career-high 13 over eight dominant innings of two-hit ball, and the AL MVP also reached base three times in the Los Angeles Angels’ 5-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
After giving up two singles to start the first, Ohtani (6-4) retired 16 straight Royals and 23 of the final 24 batters he faced. While matching the longest start of his major league career, he allowed just one baserunner over his final seven innings — on a walk that was quickly erased by a double play.
With the backdrop of a rare Southern California lightning storm illuminating the sky far beyond center field at the Big A, Ohtani also had a single and two walks at the plate in his latest electrifying two-way performance.
One night after Ohtani hit two three-run homers and drove in a career-high eight runs in an extra-inning loss, he set a new career mark for strikeouts by fanning Emmanuel Rivera on his 108th and final pitch.
David MacKinnon got his first major league hit with an RBI single in the seventh for the Angels, who avoided a series sweep with their fourth victory in six games overall. Luis Rengifo had an RBI double in the seventh before scoring on that single to right by MacKinnon, who got his first career RBI two innings earlier with a sacrifice fly.
After scoring 18 runs in the previous two games at Angel Stadium, the Royals were shut out for the second time in four days and the 10th time this season. Kansas City still has won five of seven.
But Ohtani is unbeatable on the mound lately, allowing just one run in his last 20 innings over three starts. In his most recent home start two weeks ago, he pitched seven innings of one-run ball and also homered in a victory that snapped the Angels’ franchise-record 14-game skid.
.
..
Leave a Reply