BALTIMORE — Just about everywhere he goes, Shohei Ohtani gives fans a show they’ve never seen before. He did it again for the Camden Yards crowd on Monday night in the Angels’ 9-5 win, homering a part of the park in center field that Orioles broadcasters made sure to note very rarely hit. .
It was part of a huge night at the plate for the superstar, as Ohtani went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBIs, finishing a cycle-shy double, which would have been the first touchdown by a player who has started the game as his team’s starting pitcher. It was the second time this season that Ohtani had nearly achieved the incredible feat, as he completed a homer before a cycle on April 27.
Ohtani made history again, becoming the first starting pitcher to safely reach base five times since Mel Stottlemyre of the Yankees had five hits in a win over the Washington Senators in September 1964.
Ohtani (5-1) tried to downplay the feat afterwards, pointing to a flawed effort on the mound, where he allowed three home runs and five runs on four hits and two walks in seven innings.
“I’m sure all these recordings come because the sample size is so small,” he said through an interpreter. “So I don’t really look too deep. But today I had a bad start to the game, giving up those runs. So that was the idea for today’s game.
Ohtani’s majestic outburst in round four soared a Statcast-projected 456 feet and was hit at an exit speed of 114.6 mph, just more jaw-dropping forward metrics from the slugger.
He was tied for the longest home run of the season at Camden Yards, where a crowd of 20,148 – the largest on a weeknight in Baltimore this year – came in part to see the first true doubles star meaning from a guy named Babe Ruth, who was born a few blocks away.
“He’s one of the greatest players we’ve seen,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “He’s a special talent, and I don’t think we’re likely to see someone that talented who can do what he can do on the mound and at home plate.”
Despite a few hiccups at the start of the pitch, Ohtani came on with a cushion with the three-point shot in the Angels’ fourth five-point inning. It was the sixth homer he’s hit while pitching in his MLB career and the first time he’s done so this year.
“I think there was a bit of anger behind that swing, yeah,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “It was just an awesome night. Truly impressive night.
And although Ohtani allowed three home runs for just the third time in his career — and the second time in Baltimore — he has settled in considerably after his gigantic outburst put the Angels ahead for good.
Ohtani struck out 13 of the last 15 batters he faced, and he managed to walk out with a four-run cushion, despite continuing an uneven pitching streak where he posted a 6.12 ERA over the course of his last four starts.
His best run could have come immediately after his home run, when he needed just eight pitches to put the Orioles down in order in the bottom of the fourth.
“It helps when he doesn’t have to sprint and run around the bases a bit,” Nevin said. “Because sometimes he gets tired because he’s out there [on the basepaths] for a certain time. But an impressive night. I know he gave up the five points, but like I said the damage was minimal because the hits were low and [there were] not many guys on base.
The Angels had 17 hits on a night that included several other strong individual performances. The first nine came against Orioles right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (2-1), who the visitors scored for eight runs in just 3 1/3 innings.
