Shohei Ohtani becomes first to hit 40 HRs, get 10th win as pitcher in single season
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels pitches in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Shohei Ohtani allowed one unearned run over six innings of three-hit ball, earning his 10th victory of the season after Mike Moustakas hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the Los Angeles Angels’ 4-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.
Ohtani (10-5) surpassed Babe Ruth in yet another measure of two-way excellence at the Big A, becoming the first player in major league history to have multiple seasons with both 10 victories and 10 homers.
Ohtani hasn’t allowed an earned run in 19 innings over his last three starts, but the AL MVP frontrunner had to work hard against the Giants’ tenacious lineup while issuing three walks and striking out five. Ohtani walked twice and struck out twice at the plate, scoring a run in the Angels’ decisive four-run rally.
Luis Rengifo doubled and scored the tying run on Brandon Drury’s single before Moustakas hammered a no-doubt homer to right off rookie Tristan Beck (3-1), who took his first major league loss.
The 34-year-old Moustakas has become an Anaheim fan favorite and a clutch performer since coming home to his native Los Angeles area in a trade with Colorado, hitting seven homers with 23 RBIs in just 33 games for the Halos.
Moustakas had two hits for the Angels (58-58), who finished their homestand with back-to-back wins and got back to .500 after a seven-game skid imperiled their playoff chances.
Brandon Crawford drove in the only run for the Giants, who have lost four of five.
Carlos Estévez hung on to earn his 24th save when Moustakas made a slick fielding play on Thairo Estrada’s hard-hit grounder to third. San Francisco had runners on the corners after Crawford singled off the wall and Blake Sabol reached on CJ Cron’s throwing error.
The Angels’ All-Star closer had blown his last two save opportunities in spectacular fashion after converting 23 consecutive chances to start the season.
Ohtani threw 13 consecutive scoreless innings in his last two starts, a one-hitter in Detroit followed by a homestand-opening appearance against Seattle that ended after only four innings because of hand cramping. Ohtani and the Angels both said he was fine to take his normal turn in the rotation again, and he quickly proved it.
But the Giants extended several early at-bats against Ohtani, and they went ahead with an unearned run in the second when Michael Conforto doubled, advanced on catcher Matt Thaiss’ ill-conceived pickoff attempt and scored on Brandon Crawford’s flyout. Ohtani threw 47 pitches in the first two innings before settling down.
Giants opener Ryan Walker got three strikeouts in the first inning. Sean Manaea took over and pitched four hitless innings with six strikeouts before Rengifo’s leadoff double chased him in the sixth.
Wilmer Flores extended his on-base streak to a career-best 20 games when Ohtani hit him with a pitch in the sixth inning.
TRAINER’S ROOM
- Giants: New OF AJ Pollock went on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain that will sideline him for about three weeks. The 12-year veteran is 0 for 6 in five games since joining San Francisco at the trade deadline.
- Angels: Rookie C Logan O’Hoppe has begun his rehab assignment with Low-A Inland Empire, catching three innings Tuesday night. He has been out since April with a torn labrum.
UP NEXT
- Giants: After a day off, San Francisco welcomes Texas for a three-game series Friday. Ross Stripling is the Giants’ likely starter, but they haven’t made it official.
- Angels: After their first scheduled day off since July 24, Reid Detmers (2-8, 4.78 ERA) takes the mound for the Halos in Houston on Friday.