ANAHEIM, California. – Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels were shocked after the Japanese left the game after an action in which he was hit on the feet in a rough game at home against the Chicago White Sox.
After the White Sox had men on second and third base with two outs in the fifth inning, they went 3-1 on the scoreboard on a wild pitch by Ohtani. The Japanese struckout Yoan Moncada, but the pitch hit the ground and catcher Max Stassi made a bad shot to first base to complete the out, with which Adam Eaton scored from third base and Abreu, who ran from the center , came home, where Ohtani was waiting to evict him.
Abreu kicked at Ohtani’s legs, who remained on the ground for a few seconds, then rose to walk to the dugoout with no apparent serious injury.
Steve Cishek got the last out from the top of the fifth inning on relieving Ohtani, who worked 4 2/3 innings in which he gave up two hits, three runs, one earned, five walks and seven strikeouts.
The Angels reported on the ESPN broadcast that Ohtani was not relieved due to an injury problem and that the Japanese only felt general pain after his performance and that he would be re-evaluated on Monday.
At the start of the game, Ohtani made his first game as a pitcher and batter historically by hitting a 101-mile pitch in the top of the first inning, then hitting a 115-mile tee shot on the first pitch he saw on his first turn to bat.
Ohtani retired the top three batters of the Chicago White Sox with three 100-mile pitches, including a 101 fastball to Adam Eaton, which was followed by a rough splitter that hit the ground before the strikeout.
At the bottom of the first inning, Ohtani hit the first pitch he saw from White Sox right starter Dylan Case, a 100-mile chest-high fastball, and sent it 140 yards to the right field for offensive support, asking for himself.
Ohtani’s pitching against Eaton, officially 160km, is the fastest of all pitchers this season and his homer, with an exit speed of 115.2 miles, is also the hardest hit on the current schedule.
Ohtani, who underwent Tommy John surgery after his rookie season, had only had 53 1/3 innings as a pitcher since his Major League-debut in 2018, but Angels manager Joe Maddon decided to use him as a pitcher and batter in 2021 and lifted some of them. limitations that kept him out of the line-up the day before and after his start as a starter.
On Sunday, the Japanese became the first pitcher to hit second in a row in a game since Jack Dunleavy did in 1903.