Shohei Ohtani (29-LA Angels) reached 40 home runs and 15 doubles, the fastest pace in major league history. However, the Angels have lost a season-high seven straight games and their chances of making the postseason have dropped to 1.4 percent.
Ohtani started in the No. 2 spot in the lineup and went 2-for-4 with a home run, a run scored, and a stolen base on Monday (Aug. 8) at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, against the San Francisco Giants.
With his second consecutive game with a hit, Ohtani improved his season batting average from .386 to .388 (129-for-419). His OPS also increased slightly from 1.081 to 1.082, solidifying his No. 1 ranking in the majors in that category.
Ken Griffey Jr. shatters records, hits 40 homers and 15 doubles in 114 Gs
After leading off the first inning with a single up the middle off San Francisco right-hander Logan Webb, Ohtani stole second base when Mike Moustakas batted third. It was a perfect start, as he had already stolen second base before the catcher’s throw came. His 15th stolen base of the season. For Ohtani, who hit his 40th home run of the season on April 4, it was a 40-homer, 15-steal moment that took him at least 114 games to achieve in major league history.
Prior to Ohtani, Ken Griffey Jr. was the only player to reach the 40-homer, 15-steal milestone within a team’s first 120 games of a season, according to MLB.com and other local media outlets, and he did so in 117 games with the Seattle Mariners in 1998. At the time, Griffey Jr. played all 161 of his team’s games and led the league in that category with 56 home runs. He also stole 20 bases.
At his current pace, Ohtani is on pace for 56 homers and 21 doubles. He is on pace to surpass his previous career highs of 46 homers and 26 doubles in 2021. Only four players in history have achieved 50 homers and 20 steals: Willie Mays of the New York Giants in 1955 (51 homers and 24 steals), Brady Anderson of the Baltimore Orioles in 1996 (50 homers and 21 steals), Griffey Jr. of Seattle in 1998 (56 homers and 20 steals), and Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees in 2007 (54 homers and 24 steals).
‘Six runs in the ninth inning’: The Angels lose their seventh straight game with no answers
Trailing 1-0, Ohtani led off the sixth inning with a single to set the stage for the comeback. He took Webb’s four-pitch low and outside changeup and sent it rolling down the line. It appeared to be a single at the time of contact, but the ball sailed into right-center field, allowing Ohtani to sprint to second base. RBI singles by C.J. Cron and Mickey Moniak followed, giving the Angels a 2-1 lead.
But in the bottom of the ninth, closer Carlos Estevez caught fire. With a 3-2 lead, Estevez put runners on first and second with a single and a walk before giving up a two-run double to left to Patrick Bailey. Left fielder Randall Grichuk fumbled and dropped the throw, allowing the runner to score from first. A walk and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, and after a Mark Tyers double to center field, Estevez pitched his worst outing of the season, allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks in ⅓ of an inning.스포츠토토
The Angels, who scored six runs in the ninth inning to fall to 3-8, have lost a team-high seven straight games this season. At 56-88, the Angels are in the seventh wild-card spot in the American League, eight games behind the third-place Toronto Blue Jays (64-50). According to FanGraphs, the Angels’ chances of making the postseason have dropped to a season-low 1.4%. It’s become a virtual impossibility.
“We’re all playing hard,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said after the game. We’re playing to win, but it’s tough when you lose games. It’s frustrating to go on a long losing streak like this in the situation we’re in.” “Nobody likes to lose, but we have to get through the tough times. We have to keep our heads up,” he said.