The Los Angeles Angels didn't play Wednesday due to a rainout. They still won in the near term by keeping megastar Shohei Ohtani and trading for All-Star starting pitcher Lucas Giolito, though. Thursday, they were tasked with a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, and Ohtani rewarded the Angels with one of the greatest single-day performances in history.
In the first game of the doubleheader (LAA 6, DET 0), Ohtani struck out eight batters in a one-hit shutout, and did not allow a Tigers runner to reach third base. He threw 111 pitches in the complete game, the first of his MLB career and his first since 2017, when he was with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan. Ohtani was simply marvelous.
"I think it was good for the team and good for me personally as well," Ohtani told the Los Angeles Times about the complete game. "I didn't really think much and attacked the hitters one by one. I'm glad I was able to pitch until the end."
Following his bullpen-saving complete game, Ohtani then went deep twice in the second game of the doubleheader (LAA 11, DET 4), raising his MLB-leading total to 39 home runs. No other player has more than 32 homers and no other American Leaguer has more than 28. Here is Ohtani's two-homer game, the 16th multi-homer game of his MLB career and his fourth this season:
It should be noted Ohtani was removed for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning of the second game of the doubleheader. He was seen grabbed at his back after the second home run swing, and the Angels later announced he exited with cramping. Given Ohtani's workload Thursday, his importance to the team, and the somewhat lopsided score, the Angels were smart to play it safe.
Ohtani is the first player to throw a shutout and hit two homers on the same day since Sonny Siebert did it in the same game for the Boston Red Sox against the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 2, 1971. He's the first player with a one-hitter and two homers on the same day since Rick Wise went deep twice in his no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies against the Cincinnati Reds on June 23, 1971.
All told, Ohtani has now worked 120 2/3 innings on the mound this season, pitching to a 3.43 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 156 strikeouts. At the plate, he's hitting .298/.395/.675 with 16 doubles, seven triples, 38 homers, 80 RBI, 79 runs and 12 stolen bases. He leads the majors in triples, homers, slugging, OPS, OPS+, total bases, and WAR.
The Angels took a risk keeping Ohtani in the sense that he could leave as a free agent after the season, leaving the team with nothing but a draft pick. That's narrow-minded though. Keeping Ohtani gives the Angels a chance at that postseason and days like Thursday. He is the coolest player and safest bet in sports. Risky is trading him for prospects, not keeping him on your roster.
With Thursday's doubleheader sweep, the Angels are 54-49 and three games behind the third wild-card spot. They have won eight of their last nine games. The Halos will face the Toronto Blue Jays, who sit in that third wild-card spot, in an important three-game series at Rogers Centre this weekend.
