ANAHEIM, California – – In the first innings alone, Shohei Ohtani throws a ball of almost 101 km / h and hits a homer who jumps 115 km / h from his bat.
By the time he left, the Los Angeles Angels’ two-way star had shone on the hill and on the board in a historic two-way performance.
And after Sho-time ended, Jared Walsh made his own impressive effort to secure another victory for the Halos.
Ohtani both struck a 451-foot homer and hit a two-pointer in the fifth inning, and Walsh hit a homer to end the English victory 4-4 over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday night.
“I’m glad I’ve mastered such a game and that it will give me a lot of confidence,” Ohtani said through his translator.
Ohtani reached another milestone in his unique career when he took the hill and occupied the number 2 lock in the batting order for the English. He was just the third pitcher in 45 seasons to score for himself in a match with the designated hit, and the first to bat second since Jack Dunleavy did so for the Cardinals in 1903.
Although he lost a three-run lead and injured himself in a collision during the fifth innings during the fifth innings, Ohtani left both teams stunned by his abilities.
“He’s all we thought he could be, right?” The English manager Joe Maddon said. ‘This is the complete baseball player. He just needed the opportunity to do so. … What he did tonight was pretty special, and you’ll still see a lot of it. ‘
Leury García, Chicago, put it more succinctly: “Oh, he’s dirty.”
So did Walsh, who hit two homers – including a big three-run from Matt Foster to end the English third victory over Chicago in their series to open the season.
In the wild first innings, Ohtani threw both the toughest pitches through a starting pitcher in baseball this season and the season hit the hardest by any batter. Ohtani’s first Chicago batsman, Dylan Cease, was the Angel hit the hardest since MLB’s Statcast database began following in 2015.
Even Ohtani’s 109.7 km lineout in the second innings was hit harder than any other ball in the game, except for his own homer.
Ohtani did not allow the first four overs, but his control problems clinched the three runs in Chicago in the fifth series. Ohtani leaving after a passing ball and a throwing error by catcher Max Stassi, led to a collision between Ohtani and AL MVP José Abreu.
Ohtani finishes with seven casualties and five hikes, showcasing his typical duo of global speed and shaky control.
David Fletcher and Justin Upton chased early runs for the English. After Chicago equalized in the fifth by scoring three runs without an RBI, Walsh regained the lead for Los Angeles in fifth place – but the new English closer Raisel Iglesias (1-0) could not quite with ‘ a five-out rescue does not come up.
Chicago equalized again in the ninth when Nick Madrigal scored from the second point on a throwing error by Iglesias, who tried to get him in third place after using Adam Eaton’s one-time lane keeper.
The White Sox scored four runs, though he was 0 for 11 with runners in the standings.
“I just told them it’s one of the most impressive losses I can remember,” Chicago manager Tony La Russa said. “You look at all the things that went on in that game, and the fact that they did not give up is a good sign of the toughness and daring that this club has as we move forward.”
José Ruiz (0-1) gave Dexter Fowler a lead single in the ninth, which entered the game via a rare AL double switch.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: SS Tim Anderson submitted the first innings and he did not take the field for the bottom half due to the tight thigh muscle. La Russa said they do not think the injury is serious.
Angels: Ohtani left the game with general injury but no injury, said Perry Minasian, general manager. “I feel good from now on,” Ohtani said. “It was not as bad as it seemed.”
SENSATION versus SENSATION
Ohtani even mastered Yermín Mercedes, the 28-year-old White Sox rookie, who has probably scored the first eight hits of the biggest league in the last two games in a row. Ohtani knocked out Mercedes in the second and fourth innings and dropped the average of the designated hit to .727.
Mercedes later beat an innings drive for its ninth hit in three games.
FOLLOWING
White Sox: Carlos Rodon takes the hill in Seattle on Monday when they open a three-game series with the Mariners.
Angels: José Quintana will make his Halos debut on Monday when they open a two-game series with the Houston Astros.
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