Anaheim, Calif. — Even with lingering questions about his future, Shohei Ohtani continues to produce on a stunning clip from the Los Angeles Angels.
The Two-Way Star tied the game in the seventh with his 35th home run. This set the stage for the pinch hitter Game-ending single to Michael Stefanik in the tenth that gave the Angels a 4-3 win over the New York Yankees Monday night.
Los Angeles trailed 3–1 when Otani hit a two-run home run from Michael King, then flipped his bat. Otani hit the field in three straight games for the sixth time in six major league seasons and has surpassed his home run total since last year.
Manager Phil Nevin said that turning the bat was the most emotional he had seen from Ohtani, who returned 19 overs in his last 31 matches..
“We know what he’s doing to the whole place, but you guys have to understand what he’s doing to our stash too. Then to be up front, I’m glad that didn’t go to waste,” said Nevin.
Otani is in the final year of his contract. Where he will play next season has been a source of speculation all season, but trade rumors have grown as the August 1 deadline approaches and Hallows struggles to stay in contention.
Los Angeles (47-48) has been in position for a wild card berth but is 6-15 since June 20th. The Angels are 5 1/2 games behind Houston in last place.
Off-field pressures did not affect Otani’s performance at the plate. He had three hits and increased his average to . 306.
“He wants to win in the worst way. It’s been just as frustrating for him these past two weeks as it has been for everyone,” Neven said. He wants to win and he wants to win here.”
The Yankees (50-45) are down seven of nine and are 15-20 since Aaron Judge was injured on June 3. They are the only ones in possession of last place in the Middle East this late in the season for the first time since 1990.
“I thought we did a lot of good things tonight but some situations you have to make better adjustments,” manager Aaron Boone said after the Yankees hit a season-high 17 times and were 1 of 9 with runners in scoring position.
With Chad Wallace on second as the automatic runner in the tenth, Stefanic lined off Nick Ramirez (0-2) to left field to give the Angels their fourth win.
The fact that it was against the Yankees was very special to Stefanek, who said he grew up as a Red Sox fan.
He said, “It’s nice to do that.” “I’m a line-driving hitter and I wanted to step up and get something over the pitch. I got a change-up and I executed it.”
Aaron Loeb (1-2) hit two in the tenth with no hits.
Matt Theiss hit a leadoff single in the Angels’ sixth to make it within 2-1. He was then thrown out by plate umpire John Tumban after taking strike three to end the ninth.
Oswaldo Cabrera put the Yankees ahead 2-0 with a two-base double off Jimmy Herget that bounced on the caution run and over the wall at left center.
For starters
Yankees right fielder Louis Severino and Canning didn’t take the decision.
Severino, who has allowed at least six runs in four out of seven games since June 1, went six innings for only the third time this season and allowed just one run.
Canning gave up 2 runs in 5 2/3 innings pitched with 12 strikeouts in 120 pitches, both career highs. It is the most pitches thrown by a player in the major leagues this season.
It is also the first time since Garrett Richards in 2015 that a Halos player has thrown at least 120 pitches.
Second guess
Neto attempted to score from the first in the third, but was easily sacked at home. Quarterback Harrison Bader played the rebound off Ohtani’s double off the wall at left-center field and made a great throw to Volpi, who moved to catcher Jose Trevino. Nieto made an awkward slide home and hit Trevino’s helmet face first.
Coaches room
Yankees: 3B Josh Donaldson may miss the rest of the season with a Grade 3 strain on his right calf. … LHP Nestor Cortes (left cuff strain) threw a simulation game with the plan being that he had to start his rehab assignment on Sunday.
Angels: RHP Chris Devenski has been placed on the 15-day injured list backdated to Sunday with a right hamstring strain. … Triple-A Salt Lake right-handers Hargate and Gerardo Reyes were called up, while RHP Zack Weiss was dropped.
the next
Domingo German (5-5, 4.32 ERA) has allowed the Yankees five runs (three earned) in his last two starts since he threw a perfect game in Oakland on June 28. He will be opposed by Angels left fielder Patrick Sandoval (4-7, 4.41 ERA).
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