Ohtani throws more zeros, makes more history

ANAHEIM -- Shohei Ohtani said he was frustrated with the way he pitched. Manager Phil Nevin said it was apparent that Ohtani has been dealing with some fatigue.

But that didn’t stop the Angels' two-way superstar from bouncing back after leaving his previous start early because of cramping in his right middle finger. Ohtani threw six strong frames without any issues in a 4-1 win over the Giants on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium, giving the Angels a much-needed series win over San Francisco and helping Ohtani make more history. With the victory, he became the first player in MLB history to tally 10 wins and hit 40 homers in the same season.

“The wins, obviously we need to score runs to get a win, and I’m in the batter’s box, but I need the support of my teammates,” Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “It just shows we’re playing well [offensively]. And I’ve hit some home runs.”

Ohtani, though, was visited at the mound by head athletic trainer Mike Frostad and Nevin with nobody out in the sixth inning, only to send them back to the dugout and finish his outing with a scoreless frame. Ohtani was visibly frustrated as he went back into the dugout after the inning, yelling to himself as he exited the mound.

He said his finger never bothered him during the outing; a slip on the mound while delivering a pitch prompted the visit from the Angels' training staff.

“Throughout the whole game, I was just frustrated with the way I was pitching,” Ohtani said. “I didn’t really feel right the whole game.”

Ohtani’s right middle finger has been an issue since early July, as it started out as a blister and a cracked fingernail before cramping set in against the Mariners on Thursday. But Ohtani has been pitching well over his last three outings, as he’s now thrown 19 1/3 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.

The overwhelming favorite to win the AL MVP Award for the second time in three seasons, Ohtani gave up one unearned run on three hits and three walks to improve to 10-5 with a 3.17 ERA in 22 starts this season. He also struck out five and has 165 strikeouts in 130 2/3 innings.

He had some trouble with his command early, needing 47 pitches to get through two innings and walked two of the first seven batters he faced. He gave up the unearned run in the second after catcher Matt Thaiss made a throwing error on a pickoff throw back to second base. The throw hit Michael Conforto and rolled into center field, allowing Conforto to reach third and eventually score on a sacrifice fly from Brandon Crawford.

But Ohtani settled down from there and got through six innings on 97 pitches. In that sixth, however, Ohtani was paid a visit on the mound by Frostad and Nevin after hitting Wilmer Flores with a fastball and throwing a first-pitch curveball for a ball to Joc Pederson. Ohtani recovered, getting Pederson to ground into a double play and retiring J.D. Davis on a groundout to third finish his outing.

“Other than the second inning, I thought he was really good with his pitches, and efficient with them,” Nevin said. “But he’s tired. That’s 16 straight games in 16 days. He’s tired. He told me going into the sixth that the gas was running low, but he went out there and threw a clean inning.”

After Ohtani's night on the mound came to a close, the Angels were trailing by a run and he was due up second in the bottom of the sixth. Luis Rengifo got things started with a double and Ohtani was intentionally walked to get to Brandon Drury.

This backfired for the Giants, as Drury delivered a game-tying RBI single and Mike Moustakas followed with a clutch three-run homer to give the Angels the lead. It was his sixth home run (out of seven since joining the club) that have either tied the game or given the Angels the lead.

“It’s awesome,” Moustakas said. “The fun part about being in these games is having those opportunities and having a chance to drive in runs. I love being in those situations and getting the job done.”

The Angels (58-58) remain on the fringes of postseason contention, but Ohtani said he’s trying to stay optimistic after consecutive wins over a tough San Francisco club.

“I know it's not extremely high right now, but it’s obviously a possibility,” Ohtani said. “They're trying their best every game and trying to get wins.”