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Shohei Ohtani recorded 10-plus strikeouts in his fourth consecutive start, fanning 12 in six innings of one-run ball on Wednesday in the Los Angeles Angels’ 7-1 victory over the Houston Astros.
Ohtani (9-4) turned in another stellar two-way performance at Angel Stadium, where he matched an MLB career-high with his ninth win in a four-hit, two-walk effort on the mound. At the plate, he hit a two-run triple on a 2-for-4 night.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels pitches against the Houston Astros in a baseball game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, on July 13, 2022. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
“I’m just trying to throw aggressively in the zone and strikeouts are always great for driving in momentum,” Ohtani said.
The Astros run, in the fourth inning, was Ohtani’s first earned run in 32 innings. He threw 105 pitches before exiting the game.
The 28-year-old Japanese has struck out 10-plus batters in each of his last four starts. He struck out 10 on July 6, 11 on June 29 and a career-high 13 on June 22.
The only other Japanese major leaguer to record 10-plus strikeouts in four straight starts is Hideo Nomo, in 1995 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
According to the team, Ohtani is the second pitcher in Angels history to achieve the feat after Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who did it six times, and also the first Angels starting pitcher to hit a triple since Ryan in 1972.
With their first win in six games, the Angels are now 19 games behind first-place Houston in the American League West.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels runs the bases for a triple in the second inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros on July 13, 2022, at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
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