Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs, struck out 10 while allowing one run in 6 1/3 innings and lifted the Los Angeles Angels to a 4-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Ohtani finished 3-for-3 with a walk in four plate appearances. He took a shutout into the seventh inning, but the White Sox put runners on first and second with one out, prompting a visit from pitching coach Matt Wise.
Moments later, Angels manager Phil Nevin and a trainer also went to the mound, and Ohtani was removed from the game with a cracked fingernail. Angels reliever Jacob Webb gave up an RBI single to Gavin Sheets, cutting the Angels’ lead to 2-1 — the run charged to Ohtani.
Though he was out of the game as a pitcher, Ohtani remained as the designated hitter and hit his second homer in the bottom of the seventh, giving him a major-league-leading 28 long balls.
Ohtani (7-3) gave up one run on four hits and two walks, and he reached double digits in strikeouts for the sixth time this season. He also became the first pitcher to strike out 10 and hit two homers since Zack Greinke did it for the Arizona Diamondbacks in an 8-5 win over the San Diego Padres in April 2019.
The White Sox nearly rallied in the ninth inning, scoring one run and loading the bases with no outs against Angels closer Carlos Estevez. Estevez, though, struck out Seby Zavala and got Elvis Andrus to hit into a double play, closing it out for his 20th save of the season.
Ohtani gave the Angels a 1-0 lead with his first home run in the first inning, getting ahold of a fastball from White Sox starter Michael Kopech. Kopech (3-7) struggled with his control, walking seven Angels hitters, but none of them scored.
The Angels let Kopech off the hook in the third inning after he walked the first three hitters. The first two — Luis Rengifo and Chad Wallach — were thrown out trying to steal second.
The Angels increased their lead to 2-0 in the fourth when Rengifo tripled with one out and scored on David Fletcher’s infield groundout.
Mike Moustakas added an RBI single in the seventh inning, his first RBI since being traded to Los Angeles from Colorado last weekend.
–Field Level Media
