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Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani waits for the ball during the first inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Angels on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani follows through on a grounder on which Mike Trout was forced out at second base during the first inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani leads off from first base during the first inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani smiles as he is asked to show his hands to an umpire as he leaves the field after the top of the second inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout watches the flight of his two-run home run during the third inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Seattle Mariners right fielder Taylor Trammell leaps for but can’t catch a two-run home run hit by the Angels’ Mike Trout during the third inning on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout rounds the bases on his two-run home run during the third inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout celebrates his two-run home run with teammate Taylor Ward during the third inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout trades his batting helmet for the celebratory cowboy hat as he returns to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. Trout added another two-run homer later in the 4-1 win. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout celebrates his two-run home run as he returns to the dugout during the third inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout wears a cowboy hat as he is greeted in the dugout after he hit a two-run home run during the third inning of the team’s baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Thursday, June 16, 2022, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani follows through on a single during the third inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws to the plate during the fourth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani sits in the dugout before batting during the fifth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani looks on during the fifth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani hits a single during the fifth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, left, gets a fist-bump from teammate Mike Trout as they sit in the dugout during the fifth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani reacts after left fielder Brandon Marsh caught a line drive hit by the Seattle Mariners’ J.P. Crawford for the final out of the fifth inning on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout looks on as he waits to bat during the seventh inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout hits a two-run home run during the seventh inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. The homer was Trout’s second of the game. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout runs the bases after he hit a two-run home run during the seventh inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. The homer was Trout’s second of the game. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout celebrates after his two-run home run with Taylor Ward, left, and Shohei Ohtani during the seventh inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout reacts after his two-run home run during the seventh inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Sergio Romo, right, walks off the mound after he was pulled during the seventh inning of their game against the Angels on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani is greeted in the dugout after the sixth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Dylan Moore #25 of the Seattle Mariners rounds third base on his way home to score during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park on June 16, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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Dylan Moore #25 and Julio Rodriguez #44 of the Seattle Mariners celebrate a run against the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning at T-Mobile Park on June 16, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani puts on a sweatshirt in the dugout after the top of the ninth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. Ohtani pitched six scoreless innings in the 4-1 win. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Angels relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Angels relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias celebrates the final out of their 4-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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Angels relief pitcher Raisel Iglesias, left, and catcher Max Stassi celebrate after defeating the Seattle Mariners 4-1 at T-Mobile Park on June 16, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout, right, and Brandon Marsh, left, greet Andrew Velazquez (4) after the team’s 4-1 win in a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Thursday, June 16, 2022, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani left, celebrates with his teammates and coaches after their 4-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout looks on during batting practice before the game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on June 16, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout gives a bat to a fan after their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani fist-bumps teammates before their game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani waits on deck during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on June 16, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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A fan holds a blanket with an image of the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani on it before a game between the Angels and the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
SEATTLE — Just like they drew it up.
The Angels’ superstar duo of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani carried the team to a badly needed 4-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night.
Trout drove in all of the Angels’ runs with a pair of two-run homers and Ohtani pitched six scoreless innings, helping the Angels to just their third victory in their last 21 games. It was their first victory on the road since May 15, the day they went a season-high 11 games over .500. They’re now 30-35.
After homering in the third and seventh innings, Trout has blasted 49 career homers against the Mariners, his most against any opponent. He’s hit 30 of them in just 85 career games in Seattle.
“I don’t know,” Trout shrugged when asked about his success at T-Mobile Park. “We play here a lot. I see the ball good. I couldn’t tell you one particular thing. They’ve got a good backdrop.”
It was Trout’s second multi-homer game in the five games he’s played since returning from a three-game absence because of groin tightness. He’s hit 18 homers this season.
As for Ohtani, his strong performance was even more impressive because he and the rest of the team didn’t get into their hotel in Seattle until after 4 a.m. following their Wednesday night game at Dodger Stadium.
Interim manager Phil Nevin actually forgot who the Angels had scheduled to start on Thursday when he asked pitching coach Matt Wise in the first inning if the Angels had sent the next day’s starter up to Seattle early. Wise told Nevin that their starter was about to step up to the plate.
“Normally you would send your starter ahead and get him some nice rest,” Nevin said. “It’s amazing with how he prepares and he was ready tonight. … He had (all his pitches) working really. I think he clipped 100 mph a couple times. Location was good. He used the secondary stuff very well tonight and he was able to reach back and get that extra velocity.”
Ohtani has rebounded well from back-to-back rough starts against the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. Since allowing nine runs in those two games, Ohtani has allowed just one run in 13 innings in his last two starts, against the Boston Red Sox and Mariners.
Ohtani has worked his ERA for the season down to 3.28, which is right in line with his 3.18 mark during his MVP season in 2021.
On Thursday night he battled through a long first inning, in part because he didn’t get a few borderline calls. After finishing the inning with his 23rd pitch, Ohtani stopped and had what appeared to be an amicable chat – no interpreter – with plate ump David Arrieta.
After that, Ohtani had little trouble.
He gave up just two singles and a walk over the next five innings, keeping the Mariners from even getting a runner into scoring position.
“I would have liked to keep my pitch count low, especially early in the game,” Ohtani said through his interpreter, “but for the most part I felt good with all my stuff.”
Ohtani also benefitted from some nice defense behind him.
Left fielder Brandon Marsh made a diving catch to end the fifth, and then third baseman Matt Duffy charged a slow hopper and fired quickly to first to get the first out of the sixth inning.
Ohtani finished the sixth with a strikeout of Cal Raleigh on a 99.2 mph fastball, punctuating the whiff with a yell.
That was Ohtani’s 93rd and final pitch, which left nine outs for the bullpen. Left-hander Aaron Loup pitched an inning, his first perfect outing since May 13. Right-hander Ryan Tepera gave up a run in the eighth, but he escaped with the three-run lead intact.
Closer Raisel Iglesias then worked a perfect ninth, with three strikeouts, to pick up the save, just his second of the month.
“It’s good to get a W,” Trout said. “We got in real late last night. Just to come out here and watch Shohei do his thing and the bullpen come in and shut the door, it was a good win.”
.@MikeTrout loves hitting in Seattle.
He has 29 HR at T-Mobile Park, by far his most at any road stadium. pic.twitter.com/YaMGIQ0n9k
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) June 17, 2022
Make that 30 homers in 85 games in Seattle for @MikeTrout!
(MLB x @Geico) pic.twitter.com/foBJ2njgFZ
— MLB (@MLB) June 17, 2022
Which was the nastiest Shohei K? pic.twitter.com/InATFxXmzG
— MLB (@MLB) June 17, 2022
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