Shohei Ohtani throws his first MLB complete-game shutout
One day after confirming that he will be staying in Anaheim for the rest of this season, Shohei Ohtani throws a complete-game shutout, and he thinks he can do better.
In game one of Thursday’s double-header between the Angels and Tigers, Shohei Ohtani threw nine complete innings, striking out eight and surrendering only one hit in his first MLB complete-game shutout.
It comes just 24 hours after the Angels announced that Ohtani had been removed from the trading block, apparently at his own request. The Angels shifted from sellers to buyers when they traded for pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López in an effort to prop up their ailing bullpen.
The only hit of the game came when Kerry Carpenter hit a single in the fifth. Ohtani said after the game that he felt that he could have done better.
In the second game, Ohtani hit two home runs, becoming the first player in MLB history to throw a shutout and hit a home run in two legs of a double header.
When asked about the long term implications of staying with the Angels to see out the season, Ohtani replied, “In season, I don’t really like to think about the long-term stuff, just focus on the season and every game that’s in front of me. Obviously, I’ve been with the Angels my whole career here, and I love the fans. I love the team, no complaints.”
So the long-term deals will wait until the off season, but in the meantime, Angels fans can sit back and enjoy the show.