Shohei Ohtani showed no ill effects of a foot injury Tuesday night, ripping a home run while shutting out the host Oakland Athletics over six innings in leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 5-1 victory.
Taylor Ward also homered for the Angels, who won a second straight over Oakland on the road after dropping two of three to their California rival at home last week.
Ohtani (10-7) had been considered a bit of a question mark to pitch the middle game of the series after getting spiked atop the left foot in Seattle on Sunday. He sat out Monday’s 1-0 win over the A’s, although that was considered a rest rather than injury-related.
The left-handed slugger homered to right field, his 25th of the season, in the top of the seventh inning, extending the Angels’ lead to 5-0.
He was prepared to take the mound in the bottom of the inning, but was called back a couple of steps out of the dugout and given the rest of the night off as both a pitcher and a hitter.
The right-handed pitcher allowed four hits and three walks over his six innings, striking out five.
It was just the second time this season that the two-way star both homered and pitched in the same game. He also accomplished the feat in a win over the Boston Red Sox on June 9.
Ohtani also scored a second run after leading off the fifth against A’s starter James Kaprielian (3-6) with an infield single. After Luis Rengifo got on base via an error, Ward followed with his homer, a three-run shot that extended the Los Angeles lead to 4-0.
The homer was Ward’s 15th of the year.
The Angels also scored in the third when Steven Duggar tripled and came home on a David Fletcher single.
Oakland’s lone run was the result of a Chad Pinder leadoff homer in the ninth, his 10th of the season.
Kaprielian allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits over five innings. He struck out six and walked three.
Max Stassi joined Ohtani with two hits for the Angels, who won a second straight game for the first time since July 26-27 at Kansas City.
The loss was Oakland’s fourth straight.
–Field Level Media