He remains quite the presence for the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani’s two-out walk helped set up a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night in the opening game of the Freeway Series.
The Angels were down to their last strike in the ninth inning when Ohtani battled back from a 0-2 count all the way to a walk against Kenley Jansen (0-2). Ohtani then stole second and advanced to third on catcher Yasmani Grandal’s throwing error before David Fletcher hit a tying RBI single to left.
”I think it speaks to the threat Shohei is at the plate www.chiefsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-armani-watts-jersey ,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ”(Jansen) is as good as there is at the back end of the game.”
It was Ohtani’s second stolen base of his rookie season. The two-way star has more time to practice other parts of the game while he is staying off the mound.
”I wasn’t absolutely going to go on the first pitch but for the hitter it’s easier to steal a base earlier in the count,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
Ian Kinsler followed with another base hit, and Fletcher scored when Yasiel Puig’s throw skipped by Grandal for a game-ending error. Blake Parker (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
”It was a great at-bat. (Ohtani) did what he needed to do,” Kinsler said. ”The report on Kenley is that he loses track of runners or concentrates a lot on the hitter. You have an opportunity to steal against him. Shohei took second. It was huge. We got in scoring position and obviously the throw got away. He got himself in scoring position and that’s what you’re supposed to do.”
The 108 degree temperature set a record at first pitch for a game in Anaheim. The previous record was 106, which happened in 1988 and 2007.
The Dodgers wasted a solid start by Kenta Maeda, who struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings. They had won four in a row.
”For me it’s unacceptable at 0-2 to lose him there,” Jansen said. ”I had him where I wanted to. I just feel I almost lost my feel on the fastball up in the zone. I couldn’t get it where I wanted to. That walk irritated me. I’ve got to keep my composure.”
Matt Kemp hit run-scoring singles in the fourth and sixth to help the Dodgers jump in front, but the Angels rallied in the sixth.
Kinsler and Jose Briceno opened the inning with singles. Kole Calhoun then struck out and Andrelton Simmons flied out before Mike Trout was walked intentionally, loading the bases.
Maeda then was called for a balk www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-malik-jefferson-jersey , allowing Kinsler to score. Justin Upton walked to load the bases again, and Scott Alexander struck out Albert Pujols to end the inning.
Angels starter Felix Pena, a converted reliever, allowed two runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Fletcher had faced Jansen once before in spring training. He struck out. This time he got the big hit.
”The experience was good. Obviously, when you see a pitcher more than once it can help you,” Fletcher said.
SHO-DOWN
Maeda and Japanese countryman Ohtani faced each other for the first time in Major League Baseball. Ohtani was 0 for 2 with a strikeout and a groundout. Ohtani went 2 for 7 against Maeda when the two played professional baseball in Japan.
”He was on top of his game I felt like,” Ohtani said. ”When the starting pitcher is pitching that well, to come back and win like that is big.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: LHP Tony Cingrani (left shoulder inflammation) threw a light bullpen of 20 to 25 pitches and then went to Arizona for more rehabilitation … RHP Walker Buehler (right rib micro fracture) threw a bullpen and will throw a five-inning simulated game Sunday morning.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Ross Stripling (6-2, 2.27 ERA) starts Saturday night. He allowed four earned runs in six innings in the Dodgers’ 6-4 win over Colorado on Sunday. It was just the second time he allowed four runs in a start this season.
Angels: RHP Deck McGuire (0-1 www.49ersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jonathan-cooper-jersey , 8.64 ERA) lasted just 3 1/3 innings against Baltimore in his last start.
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White Sox manager Rick Renteria has been talking with Yoan Moncada about his focus lately.
The talented second baseman sure looked locked in on Sunday.
Moncada broke out of a slump with a three-run homer and six RBIs, and the White Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 10-3 for a split of their four-game series.
”Anytime you’re going through a rough moment, you have doubts, you have questions,” Moncada said through an interpreter. ”But when you keep working hard, you can answer those questions.
”I keep grinding and just working hard.”
Daniel Palka and Yolmer Sanchez also connected for the White Sox, who had lost nine of 10. Carlos Rodon (1-2) pitched a season-high eight innings in his fourth start after missing the beginning of the year while recovering from shoulder surgery last September.
Moncada, who hit .183 over the previous 35 games, gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead with a three-run double in the fifth. Moncada then scored on Avisail Garcia’s single Rafael Devers Boston Red Sox Jersey , and Jose Abreu added another RBI single.
Palka, Sanchez and Moncada all went deep in the sixth. Moncada belted a three-run drive for his 10th homer, making it 10-2 Chicago.
”I think he’s probably giving a little bit of a wakeup call to himself in terms of where he sees himself,” Renteria said. ”I think he’s also learned that truly you have to take every single pitch of a game into consideration because they all matter.
”I think he’s starting to realize that maybe I have to have a little bit more focus and intensity.”
Oakland set a modern major league record when Mark Canha hit a drive to left on Rodon’s first pitch of the fifth, extending the A’s streak to 25 straight road games with a homer. Canha also opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the second.
A’s right-hander Paul Blackburn (1-2) allowed six runs and eight hits in five-plus innings. He permitted only one baserunner through the first four, but got into trouble with two out in the fifth.
The rally started with back-to-back singles by Omar Narvaez and Leury Garcia, and then Blackburn hit ninth hitter Adam Engel with a pitch.
”Garcia didn’t look very good on a couple changeups I threw. I threw another one that was a little up and he kind of flipped it over there (right field),” Blackburn said. ”Then I hit (Engel), and it was kind of downhill from there.”
Rodon allowed two runs and seven hits. The eight innings matched his career high.
”It was good to go eight and just be ahead of guys Brandon Guyer Cleveland Indians Jersey ,” Rodon said. ”There’s up and down days when you go through shoulder surgery or any kind of surgery for a player. You just have to work through it, try to make your way back.”
ANOTHER STOP
Well-traveled right-hander Edwin Jackson will be activated on Monday and start for Oakland at Detroit.
The A’s will become his 13th major league team, which ties retired right-hander Octavio Dotel for the major league record. The 34-year-old went 0-1 with a 4.02 ERA in three starts for Triple-A Nashville. He owns a 98-120 major league record and 4.67 ERA in 15 seasons.
”I’m probably the only guy in the clubhouse that has never met him, but I did earlier today,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said.
Outfielder Nick Martini will be sent to Triple-A Nashville to open a spot for Jackson on the roster.
HISTORIC HOMER
Melvin said the team celebrated Canha’s record-setting home run in the dugout.
”It’s nice to hang your hat on, but it certainly would have been a little better if we had won the game,” Melvin said.
The previous record was set by the Orioles in 1996.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Daniel Mengden (sprained right foot) returned to the Bay Area to consult with team physicians. The injury is not believed to be related to his previous right foot injuries. ”We’ll probably know a little bit more in the next couple of days,” Melvin said. … INF Matt Chapman (right hand contusion) could have a cortisone shot in the wrist area on Monday and will sit out the Tigers series. He had an injection in his thumb last Monday. The hope is the trouble spot has been localized and he’ll be available on the next homestand.
White Sox: RHP prospect Dane Dunning left his start Saturday for Double-A Birmingham with right elbow soreness, Renteria said. He will undergo an MRI.
UP NEXT
Athletics: Jackson will make his A’s debut in the opener of a four-game series in Detroit. RHP Jordan Zimmermann (2-0 Authentic Josh Allen Jersey , 4.95 ERA) goes for the Tigers.
White Sox: Following an off day, the White Sox begin a three-game set against visiting Minnesota on Tuesday. RHP Reynaldo Lopez (2-5, 3.59 ERA) opposes Twins RHP Lance Lynn (5-5, 4.64 ERA) in the opener.
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