Not that the Giants need any more evidence, Shohei ohtani showed them firsthand what makes him such a generational unicorn.
Ohtani The Pitcher shut down the Giants, improving to 10-5 with a 3.17 ERA. Ohtani The Hitter was so dangerous, the Giants intentionally walked him during the Angels’ four-run, game-changing sixth inning.
Mike Moustakas’ three-run homer off Tristan Beck in that sixth inning blitz put the Angels over the top in a series-deciding 4-1 LAA victory. Carlos Estévez, who blew the save in a wild series-opener, recorded the save. Just one of San Francisco’s five hits went for extra bases as SF left 10 on base.
“He’s so good that he finds his way, even on days he doesn’t have his best stuff,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said of Ohtani. “I thought he pitched well today.”
Despite losing four of their last five, the Giants (62-53) head into their Thursday off day still firmly in the wild card race. The first-place Rangers and Bruce Bochy’s homecoming awaits them in San Francisco.
If anything, the Giants were auditioning for Shohei Ohtani this series — not the other way around. A man who needs no introduction doesn’t have anything to prove.
Their personnel can change, but the Giants showed Ohtani up close and personally a few things. Their disciplined offensive strategy yields itself to driving up opponents’ pitch counts. Their malleable pitching staff is effective, and could provide an ideal complement for his unique requirements as a two-way player. And that a quantity-of-quality roster — something the Angels have never accumulated around him — can contend for postseasons.
The superstar was probably too busy doing his job of pitching and hitting at an elite level to take notes.
Ohtani’s command wasn’t as sharp as it normally is, and the Giants took advantage by testing his endurance. Of the first eight batters he faced, five worked the count to three balls.
Michael Conforto tagged Ohtani for a double, and LaMonte Wade Jr. and Joc Pederson mustered singles off him. Still, the only run Ohtani allowed was unearned, thanks to an ill-advised throwing error by catcher Matt Thaiss.
Ohtani struck out J.D. Davis on a sweeper to strand two runners in the third. But by then, he’d already thrown 61 pitches.
His last start, Ohtani left after four scoreless innings because of cramping in his pitching hand.
Ohtani got better as the game progressed. During the fifth inning, when the NBC Sports Bay Area broadcast cut to Giants CEO Larry Baer in the front row, Ohtani retired his fifth, sixth and seventh straight Giant.
Then Ohtani appeared to fatigue in the sixth inning. He looked uncomfortable after a couple deliveries, including a 96 mph fastball that nearly decapitated Wilmer Flores. Yet he persisted through a mound visit to induce a double play and then end the inning.
Even though shoddy control and apparent pain, Ohtani dealt six innings with just one unearned run.
On the mound, Ohtani kept a submissive Giants offense quiet. From the plate, Ohtani scored the Angels’ go-ahead run in the sixth inning.
Against Beck, the rookie, Ohtani drew an intentional walk. After the tying run scored on a single and Joc Pederson error in left field, Ohtani scored on a game-breaking three-run homer from Mike Moustakas.
Moustakas’ homer was just the second Beck has given up since June — a span in which the righty saw his ERA drop from 4.00 to 2.72.
Ohtani still hasn’t homered in 11 games against the Giants – his biggest such drought against any team. But earlier in the series, he became the fastest player ever to reach 40 home runs and 15 steals in a season.
Next winter, if Ohtani signs with a playoff contender, he’ll make them the World Series favorite. If he signs with an average team, he’ll make them a playoff contender. If he re-signs with the Angels, they’ll still be the Angels.
If Los Angeles hasn’t been able to reach the postseason in six seasons with Ohtani and Mike Trout, why would anything change — particularly after they dealt most of their top prospects in a Hail Mary this deadline?
Whichever jersey he decides to don after this season expires will become one of the top sellers in the world. And whichever franchise he joins will become the center of the sport’s universe.
The Giants should hope they made a good impression.