Shohei “Idoryu” Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) has become another first.
Ohtani started and batted second in the Angels’ 2023 Major League Baseball home opener against the Chicago White Sox at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California, USA, on April 28.
On the mound, he earned his seventh win of the season with a quality start (six innings or less), allowing one run (one earned) on four hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. He threw 100 pitches, with a four-seam fastball that topped out at 99.2 mph (159.6 km/h) (34 pitches) and a mix of cutter (28 pitches), sweeper (23 pitches), splitter (11 pitches), and curve (3 pitches). He lowered his ERA from 3.13 to 3.02.
At the plate, he was on fire. The day before, against the White Sox, Ohtani hit his 26th home run of the season to take over the major league home run lead. Multiple cannons, that is. He went 3-for-3 with two home runs, two RBIs, two runs scored and one walk. His season batting average rose from .297 to .304.
After a walk and back-to-back strikeouts in the top of the first inning, Otani came to the plate in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded, Ohtani hit a 95-mph (152.9 km/h) four-pitch fastball from White Sox starter Michael Kopeck for a home run. It had a bat speed of 110.8 mph (178.3 km/h) and a distance of 418 feet (127.4 meters). It was his 27th home run of the season.
His home run helped lighten the mood for the rest of the night. Gave up a leadoff double in the second inning, but an infield grounder and back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning. Third inning.
Ohtani led off the bottom of the third with a walk, but it didn’t lead to a run.
In the fourth inning, Ohtani again worked around a double play. He worked around a fly ball and a straight hit. He battled back in the fifth inning.
Ohtani led off the bottom of the fifth again, this time with a full count, but the next batter walked to load the bases with no outs.스포츠토토
Ohtani came through in the sixth inning. A single and a walk loaded the bases. With runners on first and second, he struck out the next two batters to end the threat. In the seventh, a wild pitch allowed runners to reach first and second. He then faltered, giving up a straight fly ball to Grandal. That was it for Ohtani. The next batter, Jacob Webb, singled up the middle to score Ohtani.
Now it was Ohtani’s time at the plate. Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Ohtani took a three-pitch splitter from White Sox reliever Tookie Toussaint and smashed an 88.1 mph (141.8 km/h) solo shot over the left field fence. It hit 106.4 mph (171.2 km/h) and traveled 404 feet (123.1 meters). It completed a three-hit, two-homer game.
With his performance, Ohtani became the first man to do so. The three-hit game came on a day when he recorded 10 strikeouts as a pitcher. Ohtani did the same on May 4 against St. Louis. That time, he struck out 13 and gave up three hits.
According to Japan’s Sportichi Annex, Ohtani is the first player since 1900 to have two double-digit strikeout, three-hit games in a season.
Ohtani also became the first player in the MLB to achieve the “home run + ERA” feat, going 6 1/3 innings with one walk, three strikeouts, two runs, and two hits (one home run) against Texas on April 16.
Fans are calling him “MVP,” “unreal,” and “all I can say is awesome.”