Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani has put the team on his back in the absence of Mike Trout. Trout has been out of the lineup since July 6 after fracturing his left hamate bone.
From pitching to designated hitting, Ohtani has been in the lineup trying to help the Angels find wins. But those wins have been hard to come by as the team sits fourth in the American League West with a record of 58-58.
The workload is starting to get to Ohtani, who has battled a cracked fingernail and multiple cramping issues over the last few weeks. His body is starting to wear down, and he can feel it.
“Throughout the whole game, I was just frustrated with the way I was pitching,” Ohtani said. “I didn’t really fell right the whole game.”
In an interview on Sports Illustrated, Shohei Ohtani told reporters that he was not himself on the mound on Thursday. Despite the Los Angeles Angels securing the victory over the San Francisco Giants 4-1, he was frustrated with his performance.
Ohtani went six innings, giving up just one run on three hits and five strikeouts. He became the first pitcher in MLB history to have secured ten wins as a pitcher and hit 40 home runs in a single season.
“That’s 16 straight games in 16 days. He’s tired. He told me going into the sixth that the gas was running low, but he went out there and threw a clean inning.” said manager Phil Nevin.
Ohtani would have liked to go longer, but he ran out of gas. That was his 16th game in as many days, and it is starting to get to him.
Shohei Ohtani knows how much he means in the lineup
Giants Angels Baseball
The Angels are fighting to secure one of the American League Wild Card positions, but it will not be easy. The AL is highly competitive, and many teams are gunning for a spot. The Angels are 6.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays, who hold the final Wild Card position.
The next few weeks will be important for the Angels as they face tough opponents. They start a weekend series with the Houston Astros before taking on the Texas Rangers and then Tampa Bay Rays.
