Shohei Ohtani put on another historic showing in the Los Angeles Angels doubleheader sweep over the Detroit Tigers as they’ve won eight of their last 10 games.
The two-way star had his Thursday start pushed back to Thursday up after initially coordinating with the team to have it pushed back. Some lingering finger issues were the motivation, but a postponement on Wednesday altered that timeline.
Ohtani would go on to toss a complete game shutout in the first game, allowing just one hit, logging eight strikeouts on 111 pitches in the Angels 6-0 win. He lowered his season ERA to 3.43 with a 9-5 record on the year.
He followed it up with a two-homer performance in game two, but after slugging his second home run, Ohtani grabbed at his side while rounding the bases. There was cause for some immediate concern with the delicacy of the area, but Angels manager Phil Nevin was able to shed some light postgame, per Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register:
“Just cramped up,” Nevin said. “A lot of volume today for him. … He’ll get some fluids in him. He’ll be fine.”
Avoiding a potentially large issue was the best news for Ohtani following his big swing, while also providing some positive signs he’s over the hand issues that have plagued him for a number of starts:
“The finger felt really good for the most part,” Ohtani said. “I felt really good moving on the mound. Everything was really clicking for me. But that doesn’t mean I’m gonna be able to pitch the same the next game so I need to not just be satisfied with this game, but focus on my next outing.”
Ohtani induced 13 whiffs in his complete game, using a heavy two-pitch mix of his four-seam fastball and sweeper. He touched 99.5 mph on his fastball, forcing Tigers hitters to chase 16 times on his primary pitch.
Nevin doesn’t expect Ohtani to miss any sort of time, and at the very least he could receive a day off if needed.
Angels pairing Lucas Giolito with Shohei Ohtani gives them frontline duo
Angels general manager Arte Moreno making the ultra-aggressive move to acquire Lucas Giolito from the Chicago White Sox for prospects Ky Bush and Edgar Quero provides the club with a huge tandem.
Giolito was among the starting pitchers drawing widespread interest as the trade deadline fast approached, and he was arguably one of the most talented arms available. That’s despite the right-hander not having his best year and potentially only being a rental as Giolito can become a free agent after the 2023 season.
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