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New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Shohei Ohtani, the one who got away, pitches vs. Angels for the first time. Here's how to watch
It feels increasingly distant and unreal as time rambles on, but Shohei Ohtani once indeed pulled double-duty shifts for L.A.'s other baseball team. Ohtani the Los Angeles Angel won Rookie of the Year and a pair of MVP awards, all while stuck in the ''Tungsten Arm' O'Doyle' vortex. Ohtani the Los Angeles Dodger has already nabbed his third MVP and his first World Series ring. The latter is hitting and pitching in his triumphant Anaheim return on Wednesday night, his first start from the mound against his former team. The usually spirited Freeway Series now has some additional road rage in the tank. The two-way phenom sports a 2.37 ERA through his first eight starts (19 innings) of 2025. Ohtani really pounded the strike zone in his previous outing, finishing with eight Ks across a season-high four frames last Wednesday. That start against St. Louis was also his second multi-inning effort without a walk allowed. It was, in a word, heat: With a 98-mph four-seamer (sheesh) and a gnarly sweeper (29 percent usage so far), Ohtani appears to be rounding into form right as the Dodgers regain other critical arms. Tyler Glasnow has a 2.34 ERA and a 41-to-16 K:BB mark since his July return from right shoulder inflammation. Blake Snell (2-1, 2.37 ERA) is back in the rotation after four full months on ice; he was dealing with a left shoulder injury. Roki Sasaki, who has missed most of his MLB rookie campaign with right shoulder impingement, is now almost set for a comeback. Advertisement At the plate, Ohtani's been on something of an all-or-nothing binge. He has 20 Ks in his last 13 games and lined into a triple play Tuesday night, but he is also batting .367 in that stretch and smashed a home run in his most recent at-bat. The Dodgers went just 10-14 in July, then have gone a dispiriting 5-6 so far in August. Their offense has been all over the place since a hot spring, and Dave Roberts' crew is only a couple games over .500 away from Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers are locked in a battle for the NL West lead with the resurgent San Diego Padres, who are set to visit Dodger Stadium this Friday through Sunday. The Angels, meanwhile, are one of six middling teams trailing the Yankees for a final AL wild-card spot. Mike Trout enters Wednesday's action with 10 career home runs against his crosstown rivals in 47 Freeway Series tries. The future Hall of Famer has yet to face Ohtani in an MLB game, though the two did tangle for a two-out, ninth-inning World Baseball Classic finish in 2023. The hard-throwing Ohtani is matched by the Angels' Kyle Hendricks (6-8, 4.63 ERA). The right-handed veteran is in the 6 percentile for whiff rate, and his stuff has been coming in below 87 mph this year. It makes for an interesting style clash on the mound, and a potential get-right matchup for Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and the Dodgers' lineup. Hendricks should all but certainly outlast Ohtani; since May, he's gone at least five innings in all but two starts. Most home runs in both jerseys: Ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Shohei Ohtani: Luke Hales / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
National Post
09-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Blue Jays bounce back from early hole to avoid series sweep vs Angels
Article content The Blue Jays avoided the utter embarrassment of getting swept by the L.A. Angels, a team that bears no resemblance to the reigning World Series champion L.A. Dodgers. Article content No one should be jumping for joy in the wake of a 8-5 win in Thursday night's series finale, but following four straight losses that laid bare all of Toronto's deficiencies, some feel-good vibes were necessary as the Jays head up the coast for a three-game set in Seattle. Article content Resilience was on display once the Jays fell behind 4-0 through two innings. Article content The fact the Jays were in such an early hole was disconcerting. Article content The following are three takeaways on a night Daulton Varsho went deep for the third time since his return from the IL, a night the Jays produced 14 hits en route to tying their season high in runs after Toronto plated eight in the second game of the season. Article content 1. Chris crossed Article content There was a time earlier in the season when Chris Bassitt, it seemed, never gave up a run. Article content In his past three starts, he has given up too many home runs. Article content For the third straight outing, the veteran right-hander surrendered two homers. Article content No one is more competitive, no one features such an extensive pitching arsenal, but giving up long balls is a no-no. Article content Fellow starter Jose Berrios has been too homer-prone for the past two years. Article content Bassitt would get bailed out by an offence that produced some timely hits. Article content Early in Bassitt's outing, it did not look promising as the Angels jumped out to a 4-0 advantage, courtesy of a two-run homer, a solo shot and an error that resulted in a run. Article content When he took to the mound to start the home half of the sixth inning, Bassitt had a 7-4 lead. Article content Article content In the seventh, he was pulled after Bassitt gave up a leadoff single followed by a walk. Article content 2. Order restored Article content It took all of four pitches for the Jays to begin the night by loading the bases. Article content The sequence began with a first-pitch single up the middle by Bo Bichette. Article content Typical of the Jays, they weren't able to cash in any of the runners. Article content Still, it was an encouraging sign to see the team's top of the order assert itself. Article content Bichette became the last member of the trio to go deep, but he never cheats himself of any at-bat given his aggressive approach, a mindset that can be too aggressive at times. Article content The top of the order featuring Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander each had at least one hit Thursday night. Article content Bichette and Vlad Jr. each drew walks.
