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Aug. 4 (UPI) — Shohei Ohtani of the MLB left the mound early due to cramps but continued to impress at the plate, hitting his 40th home run of the season in a game where the Los Angeles Angels lost to the Seattle Mariners.
Ohtani’s impressive 390-foot home run came in the eighth inning of the 5-3 defeat in Anaheim, California.
“He told me his right middle finger was cramping and he couldn’t straighten it out, so he couldn’t pitch anymore,” said Angels manager Phil Nevin. “I’ve always trusted him and his body.”
Ohtani had a strong performance on the mound, allowing only three hits and no runs through the first four innings of his 21st start of the season. Unfortunately, he had to be replaced by relief pitcher Jose Soriano due to the finger cramps.
Nevin commented, “It’s a finger, so I’m not overly concerned, but we’ll get it checked. He was obviously fine to hit.”
The game remained scoreless in the fifth inning until Mariners’ third baseman Eugenio Suarez hit a 376-foot solo homer to give his team a 1-0 lead. The Angels responded in the bottom of the sixth, with first baseman C.J. Cron delivering an RBI single to tie the score, followed by third baseman Mike Moustakas hitting an RBI double to give the Angels a one-run advantage.
In the eighth inning, Ohtani stepped up to the plate and made his mark once again. Despite falling behind in the count, he crushed a 2-2 fastball to right-center for a solo home run, extending the Angels’ lead.
However, the Angels’ bullpen struggled in the ninth inning. Relief pitcher Carlos Estevez issued back-to-back walks, and Marlowe of the Mariners capitalized on a 0-2 count, hitting a 405-foot grand slam to put his team in the lead.
Mariners relief pitcher Andres Munoz sealed the victory by striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth.
In the midst of the loss, Ohtani stood out with his performance, going 2 for 2 with two runs scored, two walks, and an RBI. He currently leads the league with 40 home runs and 82 RBIs, putting him on pace to hit approximately 60 home runs this season. Notably, this home run marked Ohtani’s first since July 28, ending a five-game drought.
As a pitcher, Ohtani holds a 3-32 ERA and has a 9-5 record over his 21 starts in 2023. Marlowe of the Mariners also had an impressive game, going 2 for 4 with four RBIs and a run scored.
The next game between the Angels (56-54) and the Mariners (57-52) will take place at 9:38 p.m. EDT on Friday at Angel Stadium.
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