OC Register: Shohei Ohtani returns to mound, pitches Angels to victory

[AngelsWin.com]

<p>ARLINGTON, Texas — Shohei Ohtani picked up right where he left off before a thumb injury delayed his start.</p><p>Ohtani gave up one run in six innings in the Angels’ 2-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.</p><p>He was pitching on three extra days of rest because last week he was hit in the thumb by a stray foul ball into the Angels’ dugout.</p><p>Perhaps because of the thumb, Manager Joe Maddon pulled Ohtani after just 86 pitches, but the Angels’ bullpen made a one-run lead hold up, with Austin Warren, Steve Cishek and Raisel Iglesias each posting a scoreless inning.</p><p>Ohtani continued the dominant stretch that he started immediately after that nightmare game at Yankee Stadium when he couldn’t get out of the first inning.</p><p>Over his last four starts, he has allowed four runs in 26 innings, with 23 strikeouts and one walk. At Yankee Stadium he gave up seven runs and walked four, without even recording three outs.</p><p>For the season, Ohtani now has a 2.93 ERA in 16 starts.</p><p>Ohtani didn’t have much cushion because the Angels scored just two runs against Rangers lefty Kolby Allard (San Clemente High).</p><p>In the third inning, Juan Lagares scored all the way from second on a wild pitch when catcher Jonah Heim couldn’t find the ball.</p><p>In the fifth, Jack Mayfield hit a solo homer, his second homer in as many games. It was the sixth homer of the season for Mayfield, coincidentally tying Anthony Rendon in homers on the day the Angels announced that Rendon would be out for the rest of the season because of hip surgery.</p><p>Mayfield also singled and doubled.</p><p><em>More to come on this story.</em></p>

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[Angel Oracle]

Ohtani in past four starts:

26 innings, 17 hits, 1 HR, 23/1 Ks/BBs,

1.38 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, only 92 pitches/start over 6.5 innings/start

Aside from the NY disaster, 2.20 ERA on the season over 85.1 innings