HOUSTON — Shohei Ohtani’s uniform was dirty before he threw his first pitch of the game.
And his pitches were even more filthy.
Ohtani buzzed through the Houston Astros in one of the best starts of his major league career, taking a perfect game into the sixth and finishing with six innings in the Angels’ 6-0 victory on Wednesday night.
Ohtani gave up one single, walked one and struck out 12, equaling his career high.
He was able to pitch the entire game with a comfortable lead because the Angels scored six runs in the top of the first to knock out starter Jake Odorizzi. Ohtani led off the game with a walk and then doubled home two runs as the Angels batted around.
His time on the bases left his uniform soiled before he took the mound and demonstrated that he was ready to move past the disappointment of his last start.
Ohtani gave up six runs, including the first grand slam of his career, in a loss to the Texas Rangers last Thursday.
This time, Ohtani was sharp with all his pitches, especially his slider. He threw his slider 43% of the time, which was significantly up from the 28.7% of the time he’d thrown in it his first two starts or the 21.8% he used it last season.
Ohtani struck out two in the first inning, including one that so frustrated Michael Brantley that he shattered his bat slamming it into the dirt. He whiffed all three in the third – including Niko Goodrum, whose helmet popped off as he flailed at a slider – and the fourth. He struck out two more in the fifth.
In the sixth, Goodrum tried to bunt for a hit against the Angels’ defensive shift. The ball rolled foul, and Ohtani then struck him out.
Astros catcher Jason Castro then broke up the perfect game and the no-hitter by dropping a clean single into center field. An out later, Ohtani issued his first walk of the game. He retired Brantley on a groundout to finish the sixth.
Manager Joe Maddon pulled Ohtani after six, with 81 pitches. Maddon had said before the game that Ohtani could go up to around 95 pitches, even though the most he had thrown in his first two starts of the season was 80. All pitchers have started the season on more limited pitch counts because of the shortened spring training.
The Angels also had a relatively fresh bullpen and an off day on Thursday.
Ryan Tepera then worked the seventh and eighth and Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth to lock up the victory and the series win, despite the fact that Mike Trout sat out all three games.
It was the first time the Angels won a series in Houston since April 2018. Although it means little at this early juncture, the Angels (8-5) are nonetheless alone in first place in the American League West.
More to come on this story.
11 Ks already for Shohei Ohtani
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