When asked what it’s like to be a manager who watches Shohei Ohtani (29, Los Angeles Angels) play “cartoon baseball” every day, Angels manager Phil Nevin, who is constantly amazed and impressed, has an answer.
Ohtani started and batted second in the Angels’ 4-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox in the 2023 Major League Baseball World Series at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California, on Monday (Aug. 28).
The right-hander pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts to earn his seventh win of the season and lower his ERA to 3.02. At the plate, he exploded for multiple home runs – a leadoff solo shot in the first inning and a wedge shot in the seventh – and went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and one walk.
After leaving the mound with runners on first and second in the top of the seventh inning with a broken nail, Ohtani stepped up to the plate with a 2-0 lead and a 2-1 deficit after reliever Jacob Webb hit an RBI single, then hit a wedge solo home run in the bottom of the seventh. After throwing 102 pitches and breaking a nail, Ohtani secured his win with the home run.바카라사이트
Ohtani is the sixth pitcher in major league history to hit two home runs with 10 or more strikeouts, joining Milt Pappas in 1961, Pedro Ramos in 1963, Rick Weiss in 1972, Madison Bumgarner in 2017 and Zack Greinke in 2019. First in a league with a designated hitter.
After the game, Nevin said of Ohtani’s performance, according to MLB.com, “It’s amazing. We see guys every day that we’ve never seen before and we try not to take it for granted. I don’t think any of us do. We know how special he is to our team and what he brings to the table every day,” he said in awe.
Catcher Chad Wallach, who shared a battery with Ohtani on the day, said, “Every game I see him, it gets crazier. When you see him pitch like that and then hit two home runs, you can’t help but be amazed.” His nemesis, White Sox manager Pedro Griffol, said, “Ohtani is a tremendous talent. He’s probably the best player in baseball. It was hard to stop him from hitting and hard to hit the ball.”
His two-hit performance was even more remarkable given that he was playing with a broken nail. “I had a little crack in my nail before the game, but it got worse and worse as I played,” said Ohtani. “I got off before it got worse. We haven’t discussed whether he’ll pitch next, but I’m not too worried.”