Shohei Ohtani is looking to keep his undefeated record on the mound alive against a divisional rival, and you can stream this highly anticipated matchup right now FREE on MLB.TV.

The fourth and final game of the Angels’ series against the A’s is MLB.TV’s Free Game of the Day.

The Angels (13-12) are on pace for their first winning season since going 85-77 in 2015, and that’s largely thanks to Ohtani, as the 2021 AL MVP is off to a remarkable start even for his own lofty standards.

In four of his previous five starts, Ohtani has pitched at least six innings, had at least six strikeouts and allowed one or fewer runs. The only exception was a 5-4 win over Boston on April 17, when heavy rain delays led to Ohtani being removed from the mound after only two innings.

Entering today, he had allowed a miniscule 2.57 hits per 9 IP, more than 1.5 below the next-closest qualified pitcher (Spencer Strider, 4.20). His 0.64 ERA ranked second in MLB among qualified pitchers (Sonny Gray leads at 0.62), and he has been particularly effective on offspeed/breaking pitches, with 30 strikeouts on such throws (five more than any other player in 2023, via Statcast).

But coincidentally, the only one of Ohtani’s five starts that the Angels have not won came against none other than the A’s back on Opening Day. The Angels led 1-0 when Ohtani was removed after six innings of 10-strikeout ball, but Aledmys Díaz hit a game-winning single to cap off a two-run eighth inning in a 2-1 win.

That comeback by Oakland (5-20) was one of two wins by the A’s against the Angels this season. While that may not sound impressive at first glance, it’s worth noting that against all 28 other teams, the A’s have a combined 3-16 record, with no more than one win against any specific team. In fact, with a win today, the A’s would secure a 2-2 split in this four-game set, which would be the first series they didn’t lose all season.

For Oakland to do so, starting pitcher JP Sears and company will likely need to find a way to slow down Mike Trout. The longtime superstar is at the top of his game again this season, ranking ninth among qualified hitters with a .993 OPS, and he has scored a run in five straight games.