In the opener of a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon, the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Detroit Tigers 6-0. Shohei Ohtani pitched a complete-game shutout, his first in his career, while Taylor Ward hit two home runs for the Angels.
Ohtani, with a record of 9-5, only allowed one hit in the game, a single by Kerry Carpenter in the fifth inning. He walked three batters and struck out eight. This was Ohtani’s longest outing as a pitcher, as he had never before pitched more than eight innings.
Ohtani’s start was moved up from Friday due to the postponement of the second game of the series because of bad weather. Additionally, there were reports that Ohtani was taken off the trade market on Wednesday.
Ward and Trey Cabbage were the offensive stars for the Angels, each driving in three runs. Mike Moustakas also contributed by scoring two runs. The Angels have been on a hot streak, winning seven of their last eight games.
On the other side, Detroit’s starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen struggled, giving up three runs and five hits in five innings. His scoreless innings streak ended at 22 2/3 innings during the second inning when Moustakas and Renfroe hit back-to-back hits, resulting in a run for the Angels.
The Angels extended their lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning, thanks to Moustakas and Renfroe once again. Moustakas singled and advanced to third on Renfroe’s double, and then Cabbage drove them both in with a single.
Ohtani dominated on the mound, not allowing a baserunner until Carpenter’s single in the fifth inning. However, Carpenter was quickly eliminated in a double play.
In the sixth inning, Zach Logue replaced Lorenzen as the Tigers’ pitcher and gave up two more runs. Mickey Moniak led off with a double, and Ward followed with a home run over the left field wall.
The Angels continued their strong defensive performance by turning another double play in the bottom of the sixth inning after Ohtani issued a walk.
Ward sealed the victory for the Angels with his second home run of the game, a shot over the right-center field wall in the eighth inning.
In conclusion, the Los Angeles Angels dominated the Detroit Tigers in the first game of the doubleheader, with Ohtani pitching a complete-game shutout and Ward hitting two home runs. The Angels have been on a winning streak, and Ohtani’s impressive performance came after reports that he was taken off the trade market.
