Read the full story on SportsLook - Shohei Ohtani Rebounds from Recent Struggles on the Mound
When Shohei Ohtani is penciled in as the starting pitcher, the Los Angeles Angels are thriving this season.
They are 8-2 in his 10 starts.
What about the rest of the time?
The Angels are 17-21 in games without Ohtani as a pitcher.
Ohtani held the visiting Minnesota Twins to three hits and one run over six innings on Sunday, May 21. He struck out nine, walked three batters and hit another.
The pride of Oshu, Iwate Prefecture left the game after throwing 99 pitches with the score tied 1-1.
Angels leadoff hitter Mickey Moniak, who started in left field, delivered a two-run double in the seventh and the hosts added an insurance run in the eighth en route to a 4-2 victory.
After a stretch in which he allowed three or more runs in three consecutive starts ― and yielded eight home runs over his past four starts ― Ohtani was more dominant against the Twins.
He looked more like the pitcher who opened the season by allowing zero runs or one run in five straight starts.
Taking Away the Twins' Comfort Zone
Given his recent struggles, Ohtani said he wanted to minimize the chances for Twins hitters to go deep.
"It's hard to control whether they hit a home run or not, but I just tried to make them feel uncomfortable and not take good swings," Ohtani said through an interpreter, according to MLB.com. "That was the game plan."
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Author: Ed Odeven
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