ANAHEIM ― Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs Friday in the Angels’ 8-7 victory over the Baltimore Orioles, becoming the first Angel ever to hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break.
More impressive: Ohtani’s two steals of second base in the ninth inning, one of which led to the game-winning run.
Ohtani drew a one-out walk from pitcher Paul Fry in a 7-7 game. With a 1-and-1 count on the next batter, Anthony Rendon, he stole second base.
But home plate umpire Todd Tichenor ordered Ohtani back to first when Rendon’s bat tapped the catcher, Pedro Severino, on the back of the helmet following through on a swing and miss.
Undaunted, Ohtani attempted to steal second base again with Jared Walsh at the plate. This time he was successful, with no threat of interference to send him back to first. Walsh then delivered the game-winning hit, a line-drive single into right field.
The play at the plate was close enough to draw a review, but Ohtani’s speed won out in the end. The announced crowd of 23,561 at Angel Stadium erupted in a frenzy. Once again, Ohtani had challenged the limitations of one player’s ability to disrupt a baseball game.
“What he’s doing is kind of unheard of,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “Complete game. Every time he swings the bat it looks like it could be a home run. He’s just always ready, always prepared, always under control. The only blip has been the game (Wednesday) in New York as a pitcher.
“His whole game is pretty spectacular to watch. It’s an all-star performance above and beyond.”
Brandon Hyde, the Orioles’ manager, was equally at a loss for words.
“He pretty much single-handedly beat us,” Hyde said. “Hottest hitter on the planet right now.”
The Angels (40-41) have won four of their last five games. The last two have featured winning rallies in the ninth inning. Walsh had the big hit each time; Wednesday in New York, he hit a grand slam in the ninth inning of the Angels’ 11-8 victory over the Yankees.
On Friday night, Ohtani was the star.
He went 2 for 4 with a walk, driving in three runs and scoring three more. He became the first player in Angels history to hit 13 home runs in a 15-game span, and the first player in American League history to record 30 homers and 10 steals in his team’s first 81 games of the season.
Ohtani is on pace for 60 home runs and 24 stolen bases this season.
“Part of today’s game you don’t see very often (is) speed guys that are a threat to run in situations like that,” Maddon said. “You have to have the personnel to do it. I’d like to see us be able to do that with more players than just one. We want to do that. We want to take the chance.”
Ohtani made the decision to steal second base each time, Maddon said. Third base coach Brian Butterfield made the decision to send him home on Walsh’s hit to shallow right field. Afterward, Ohtani said through his interpreter he figured the play would be close, but he wasn’t surprised to be sent home.
“They were playing it right,” Maddon said of the Orioles’ defense. “That’s just Shohei stealing a bag and being fast enough to score.”
The Angels fell behind 6-2 early, then chipped away at the deficit on a night when starting pitcher Griffin Canning lasted just 2⅔ innings.
Canning needed a reasonably efficient 43 pitches to record the game’s first eight outs. The final out of the third inning proved elusive. He threw 19 pitches without retiring a batter. Four runs scored on two singles, two doubles, and two walks. Right-hander Aaron Slegers was summoned from the bullpen to record the final out of the inning.
The six runs Canning allowed matched a season high. It was the third time in 13 starts he’s failed to complete three innings. The right-hander did not factor into the decision but saw his earned-run average rise from 4.95 to 5.60.
Slegers, Jose Quintana, Steve Cishek, Mike Mayers and Raisel Iglesias combined to allow two hits and one run over the final 6⅓ innings. Iglesias (5-3) recorded the final five outs, striking out two.
Ohtani began the Angels’ comeback in the third inning by clobbering a 92-mph fastball from Keegan Akin into the right-field bleachers, his first home run of the game. The next batter, Rendon, singled and scored on a Max Stassi line drive. The Angels trailed, 6-4.
In the fourth inning, David Fletcher drove in Taylor Ward with an RBI single, narrowing the deficit to 6-5 and extending his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games.
Ohtani then hammered a 2-and-1 sinker from Dillon Tate over the left-field fence. The opposite-field homer gave the Angels a 7-6 lead.
The score held until the sixth inning. Cishek relieved Quintana with a runner on first base and was immediately charged with a balk after shuffling his feet and throwing over to keep the runner close. That put Cedric Mullins in scoring position for a double by Austin Hays, which tied the score, 7-7.
Friday’s box score accurately reflected Ohtani’s power, but his speed was worth more than a single stolen base would suggest.
“It’s a milestone number so I’m glad I was able to hit,” Ohtani said of his 30th home run. “But if you look at it overall, I think there’s more value on the stolen base and base running at the end from second base.”
Walk it off, Walsh! pic.twitter.com/XilEPdcE4O
— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2021
NUMBER 30. pic.twitter.com/CjUX8ZUAQb
— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2021
29 HR for your AL Player of the Month, Shohei Ohtani. pic.twitter.com/CwtVoJOJeu
— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2021
