ANAHIME — It was a special day for two-way superstar Shuhei Ohtani, as he found out that he was named an All-Star as a designated pitcher and hitter, and was celebrated by crushing the 31st overall in the league. 5-2 victory over D-back at Angel Stadium.
His solo homer was completely blown out in the eighth inning by Kyle Nelson. Ohtani vaulted all over the 1-2 slider over the heart of the plate and hit it 454 feet into right field, according to Statcast measurements. And it ended up in a tunnel not far from its 493-foot blast Friday.
“Was 450 into it? That’s it?” said Angels manager Phil Niven. “It was right next to the other one. I’m not sure about some of those accounts.”
It was Otani’s first July homer, who hit 15 in June to set the club record for the most homers in any month. It was the third homer of the game for the Angels, as fellow All Star Mike Trout homered in the first inning and Mickey Moniak launched a three-run blast in the second inning. She also backed up lefty Reid Detmers, who allowed two runs over six innings with nine strikeouts to improve to 2-5 with a 3.72 ERA, as the Angels snapped a four-game losing streak.
Ohtani, AL MVP in 2021 and runner-up last year, is having another MVP-caliber season. Otani, who turns 29 on Wednesday, has a streak of .306/.390/.670 with 31 homers, 15 doubles, five triples, 11 stolen bases and 68 RBIs in 84 games. And in 16 starts on the mound, he was 7-3 with a 3.02 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 95 1/3 innings pitched.
“When he gets into one, it’s fun to watch,” said Nevin. “What he’s done and what he’s meant for this team, it’s immeasurable. He’s been huge to us. And the best part is these guys have fun doing it. He’s fun with his teammates, and he’s really having a good time out there.”
Moniak, who notched his ninth outing of the year and has 13 blowouts in his career, said he’s always been in awe of his Ōtani teammates’ height.
“I took a BP with Shuhei once, and he made me look like a 12-year-old,” Monyak said. “He’s special. It’s been an honor to play with him and watch him. I’m excited to get into this second half and see where he ends up at the end of the year.”