After the dust settled on Shohei Ohtani’s start against the Miami Marlins on Saturday at Angel Stadium, his final line was another commanding six-inning outing. Still, the two-way star rated it as not exceptional.
“Not good, not bad, just average overall,” Ohtani said after the Angels’ 8-5 10-inning loss to the Marlins. “I was able to get past six so that was good, but I felt like I could have prevented some of those runs.”
The Angels didn’t lose to Ohtani. It happened in the 10th inning, when four Marlins scored with Jaime Barría on the mound, despite not giving up an earned run. The Marlins took the lead when Angels left fielder Mickey Moniak dropped a fly ball from pinched hitter Garrett Cooper that was ruled an error, scoring Luis Arráez. Miami scored another run after a video review determined catcher Matt Thaiss missed the plate on a forced out, missing a late-inning double play. The Marlins scored two more on a Garrett Hampson single.
“I think it was a game that I missed,” Moniak said. “I think I make this game nine times out of 10. Unfortunately it turned out to be in the 10th inning, an overtime game, which cost us some short and I take all the blame for that one I think this loss falls on me.
Saturday’s game started with a throwing error from Ohtani.
Marlins outfielder Jonathan Davis hit a grounder, which bounced high near the mound. Ohtani spun around, raised his glove, jumped up and caught him on his backhand, then spun around again to throw to Jared Walsh first. Except the throw was missed, the ball bouncing in the dirt in front of Walsh and deflecting off his glove. The ball bounced into foul territory in right field. Ohtani frowned slightly, then pursed her lips.
Davis reached second base on Ohtani’s pitching error, later scoring the Marlins’ first run on Yuli Gurriel’s single.
“It’s never good to have the lead guy on base, especially on the walk, so I’d like to limit that,” Ohtani said.
Ohtani’s only earned run came in the top of the fifth inning, on an RBI hit single by Arráez.
“I thought he was good,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said of Ohtani. “Unusual, threw the ball in the first inning. … I thought he had rebounded and he had thrown the ball very well.
Ohtani struck out 10, allowed six hits and walked three of 109 pitches. Ohtani capped off his start by taking out Jacob Stallings on an 84mph sweeper.
Ohtani’s ERA improved to 2.91, with his opponent’s batting average still leading the MLB by .155. At home plate, Ohtani went hitless with a walk and a stolen base.
Jared Walsh, Gio Urshela, Thaiss and Drury helped propel the Angels’ offense, with Urshela tying the game on a solo home run in the eighth inning.
Reliever Chase Silseth gave up the Angels’ lead in the seventh on a two-run homer hit by Jorge Soler. Silseth also started the eighth inning but was pulled out after walking the first two batters. Chris Devenski came in and blocked the two legacy runners. Carlos Estévez pitched the ninth, striking out all three batters he faced.
Adding to Saturday’s chaos, the Angels revealed their bullpen took another hit. Matt Moore, who was one of the Angels’ top relievers, injured his right oblique while playing catch before Friday’s game. Nevin said he will head to the injured list, hoping to start Ben Joyce who is expected to be called up on Sunday.
Rendon Update
Anthony Rendon (groin) has had slight progressions, swinging a bat in the inside cages and, especially recently, running in the outfield. It’s not running at full throttle, but that it’s gotten to that point is important.
“He’s capable of getting to that level now,” Nevin said. “Somehow what bothered him the most was the straight run, that’s what he was saying, and he’s able to pull it off now. So, like what we’re seeing.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.