Ohtani earns win, ties for MLB HR lead as Angels beat Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Shohei Ohtani pitched six innings for his first victory in 5 begins and matched the MLB lead along with his twenty second homer because the Los Angeles Angels beat the AL West-leading Texas Rangers 5-3 on Thursday night time.
Ohtani (6-2) had already thrown the final of his 99 pitches earlier than Mickey Moniak’s tying homer main off the highest of the seventh towards Nathan Eovaldi (9-3), who misplaced in his bid to grow to be solely the second 10-game winner within the majors this season.
Still within the sport because the designated hitter, Ohtani hit a two-run homer within the eighth. It was a 443-foot opposite-field blast that landed within the second deck in left-center subject. His tenth homer over the previous 16 video games, and the second pitching begin in a row when he additionally went deep, matched Pete Alonso for the massive league lead and prolonged his hitting streak to 12 video games.
The Angels (39-32) received three of 4 in Texas, and have received 9 of their final 11 general. They are nonetheless 4 1/2 video games behind the Rangers (42-26), who’ve dropped six of eight.
After Angels reliever Carlos Estevez walked the bases loaded to start out the ninth, Jacob Webb bought his first save. He bought two outs, then had a bases-loaded stroll earlier than putting out slugger Adolis Garcia to finish it.
Ohtani’s homer got here quickly after Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien, pitching coach Mike Maddux and supervisor Bruce Bochy had been all ejected by first base umpire Ramon De Jesus.
In the underside of the seventh, with the Rangers down 3-2 and a runner at third base with one out, Semien thought he had drawn a stroll. He was heading towards first base after the full-count pitch when De Jesus as a substitute signaled he had not held up his swing.
Semien took a protracted stroll to the dugout, even pointing at his eyes whereas obvious towards the umpire. Play continued when Corey Seager was deliberately walked earlier than Nathaniel Lowe’s inning-ending groundout.
When Semien went out on the sphere for the eighth, he stopped and had a quick dialogue with De Jesus, who ejected him. Maddux then ran out of the dugout to get in between them and was additionally thrown out earlier than Bochy adopted — and was additionally ejected.
In the sequence opener Monday, De Jesus ejected Angels infielder Brandon Drury after he bought into the umpire’s face to argue a known as third strike. He was suspended by MLB for one sport for making slight contact with De Jesus, and was sitting out Thursday’s sport to fulfill that suspension.
Ohtani struck out three and walked one, permitting six hits and two runs — in a three-batter stretch with two outs within the third when Lowe and Garcia had back-to-back doubles earlier than Jonah Heim’s RBI single.
Eovaldi struck out 9 and walked two over seven innings. He allowed three runs on 5 hits.
Chad Wallach hit a solo homer within the second for the Angels. Moniak bought them even with an RBI single within the fourth.
The Angels had the bases loaded within the first earlier than Gio Urshela grounded right into a double play. Urshela, who was out of the beginning lineup the previous 4 video games due to again soreness, was tended to by a coach for a number of minutes after he stumbled and fell whereas making an attempt to beat out the inning-ending play.
Urshela initially stayed in to play first base within the backside of the primary, however Jared Walsh changed him within the subject an inning later.
Walsh ended an 0-for-25 skid on the plate with a double within the fourth earlier than scoring on Moniak’s single.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: Rookie SS Zach Neto was positioned on the 10-day injured checklist with a left indirect pressure. He left Wednesday night time’s sport after just one inning due to discomfort and had an MRI on Thursday. Andrew Velazquez was known as up from Triple-A Salt Lake and began at shortstop.
UP NEXT
Angels: Patrick Sandoval (3-6, 4.52 ERA), who has misplaced his final 5 begins, goes Friday night time within the opener of a weekend sequence at Kansas City.
Rangers: Left-hander Martín Pérez (6-2, 4.67) is ready to pitch the opener of a three-game sequence towards Toronto after permitting 14 runs over 15 innings his final three begins. Kevin Gausman (5-3, 3.12), with no loss in his final seven begins, is the scheduled starter for the Blue Jays.
