Shohei Ohtani leads the charge for Los Angeles Angels as two-way star cruises to 10th HR of the season to give Angels vital victory
Shohei Ohtani is doing everything in his power to ensure that the Los Angeles Angels break their eight-year playoff drought.
The two-way superstar led the charge against the Baltimore Orioles in Thursday's early game. Ohtani recorded home run number 10 on the season off Tyler Wells in the first inning to give his team an early advantage. The Angels went on to defeat the Orioles 6-5 in a thrilling encounter.
good morning from Shohei Ohtani ๐
#GoHalos https://t.co/CNfjSaqh7n
The win leaves the Angels 23-22 on the season and puts them in reach of the second-place Houston Astros. They are currently just two games behind the Astros and four games behind the division-leading Texas Rangers.
MLB fans took to Twitter to applaud the Japanese phenom after another stellar display.
@Angels Let's goooooooooooo!!!
SHOHEI!!
@Angels Another 40+ homer season
@Angels *Only* 378 ft?
๐
@Angels Nice 10th HR of this season ๐
Good morning HR๐๐
in the wild@Angels Just a beautiful ๐ in the wild
@Angels What a great way to wake up ๐
@Angels Thatโs one way to break out of a slump.
@StoolBaseball Not a bad pitch just better hitting
@BRWalkoff @BallySportWest Best player in the world
The Angles managed to hold off the Orioles in a tightly contested battle. Ohtani finished the night 2-5 with two RBIs and a run. Aside from his early home run, his vital RBI single in the eighth inning gave the Angels a crucial late lead.
Ohtani currently leads the Angels lineup in home runs (10), RBIs (31), hits (49), slugging (.542) and OPS (.904). An incredible feat considering he also leads the roster in wins (5) and strikeouts (71).
Shohei Ohtani won American League MVP in 2021 and finished second in voting in 2022
Shohei Ohtani continues to dazzle baseball fans around the globe with his ability to dominate on both the defensive and offensive front.
In 2021, Ohtani deservedly won his first-ever American League MVP Award after finishing the season with a 9-2 record, a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts. That season, he also recorded 46 home runs and 100 RBIs.
In 2022, the two-time All-Star battled New York Yankees Aaron Judge to the finish line, but fell just short of repeating as MVP. He finished with a 15-9 record, a 2.33 ERA, 34 home runs, 95 RBIs and an incredible .875 OPS.
The Angels play in one of the most difficult divisions in baseball. The Houston Astros have won two of the last six World Series titles. The Seattle Mariners are one of the most exciting young teams in baseball, while the Texas Rangers lead the division with a 26-17 record.
Led by Shohei Ohtani, the Angels are desperate to make a deep run this season. The club currently hold the longest-standing MLB record for consecutive seasons without reaching the playoffs. For Ohtani and the Angels organization, a postseason appearance is a necessity this year.