Shohei Ohtani was spectacular as a pitcher and hitter, hitting a home run and allowing just one earned run through 4.2 innings. However, Jared Walsh was the hero as hit two home runs, the second being a three-run walk-off home run to give the Los Angeles Angels a 7-4 win over the Chicago White Sox.
Ohtani was the story of the first inning, dealing fastballs over 100 miles an hour and getting through three outs without giving up a hit. At the plate, he crushed the first pitch he saw well over the right field wall. Statcast tracked his exit velocity at 115.2, the fastest hit in Angels history during the Statcast era.
The Angels put up one more run with the help of a Justin Upton sacrifice fly, and the Halos were up 2-0 on the White Sox after the first.
The top of the fourth saw a mixed bag from Ohtani after an elite first three innings. He had some of his best stuff, striking out Jose Abreu and Yermin Mercedces. But he also walked two batters. He was able to escape runners at first and second with a nasty strikeout against Luis Robert, his third of the inning and sixth of the game.
In the fourth, David Fletcher reached way out of the zone to hit a blooper into shallow right field and bring home a run. They led 3-0 after four.
A bad pickoff attempt by Ohtani allowed Leury Garcia to go from first to third with two outs in the top of the fifth. He proceeded to walk Adam Eaton and Jose Abreu to load the bases, then sent Garcia home on a wild pitch to make it 3-1.
Ohtani was able to strike out Yoan Moncada, but Max Stassi was unable to hang on to the pitch. He then made a wild throw to Jared Walsh at first, allowing two runs to score.
Ohtani was also injured on the wild play, but was able to leave on his own power. By the end of the half-inning, it was tied 3-3 with Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, and Jared Walsh due up.
After retiring Trout and Rendon, Cease was taken out of the game to bring in Codi Heuer. He immediately gave up a home run to Walsh to give the Angels a 4-3 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Albert Pujols came in the game to replace Ohtani with a runner on second and two outs. He grounded out to end the inning.
Aaron Slegers was on the mound to begin the seventh, allowing a single to Garcia. After he stole second and was brought to third on a groundout, it was Abreu and Moncada due up at the plate with one out. He confidently struck out the former and forced the latter to ground out, ending the inning.
Raisel Iglesias was brought in during the eighth inning to try and complete a five out save. However, he blew the opportunity by throwing a wild toss to third base, allowing a runner to score and tie the game. He got out of the inning without any further damage, making it 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth.
Walsh was the hero of the night as he hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to win the game and give the Angels a 3-1 series win against one of the AL’s best teams.
Looking ahead
The Angels take on the Houston Astros on Monday, Apr. 5 at 6:38 p.m. Jose Quintana will be on the mound for the Halos against Luis Garcia.
