ANAHEIM — This time, Shohei Ohtani’s teammates lifted him to a victory, turning the agonizingly familiar narrative on its head.
Ohtani gave up a career-high four home runs, but the Angels slugged four of their own in an 8-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.
The Angels, who have won four in a row and five of six, are not used to winning when Ohtani struggles, but Mike Moustakas said it was “huge” that they were able to do just that.
“Obviously being able to pick up Ohtani, he’s done that so much throughout the year and throughout his entire career,” said Moustakas, who hit a three-run homer just after Ohtani gave up two solo homers. “To be able to help him out today was awesome for all of us.”
It will require more games like that if the Angels are to keep Ohtani, long-term. While there is speculation that the Angels could trade him, that’s not likely to happen. Ohtani said through his interpreter that it “did not cross my mind at all” that Friday’s start was his last one at home before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
Part of the Angels’ calculation, if they choose to keep Ohtani past the deadline, is their desire to re-sign him. Ohtani said his future with the Angels beyond 2023 is not something that has been discussed yet, at least not by him personally.
“I’ve never really had a sit-down talk like that,” Ohtani said. “We’re in midseason obviously. I’m just trying to focus on the season and block everything else out. I feel like we’re in a decent spot to make a playoff run and that’s all I’m really focused on at the moment.”
Although Ohtani lasted 6⅓ innings, he gave up five runs. In his last three starts, he’s allowed 14 earned runs in 16⅓ innings, which has lifted his ERA to 3.71. He was bothered by fingernail and blister issues in some of his recent starts, though he and Manager Phil Nevin both said that was not an issue Friday.
“It was pretty good today,” Ohtani said of his finger. “No issues.”
His performance deteriorated the more pitches he threw on Friday, but Nevin suggested the issue was actually that he had been on base so many times and that led to fatigue. In the first three innings, Ohtani struck out five and did not allow a run. In the fourth, he allowed solo homers to Ji-Man Choi and Henry Davis.
The Angels then got him the lead with five runs in the bottom of the fourth, but Ohtani came right back and gave up a two-run homer to Jack Suwinski. Davis hit another homer in the sixth.
“Just looking at the results, obviously it wasn’t a really good game on the mound, but I did actually feel pretty good throwing the ball,” Ohtani said. “The ball coming off my fingertips felt really good. Other than the results.”
Nevin dismissed the poor results as just a bad day.
“He’s human, but he’s our ace and he’s a stud,” Nevin said. “I can’t wait to see him pitch the next time out.”
While the Angels wait for Ohtani to get back to being himself, they at least can take solace in the fact that the offense has been clicking.
The Angels set a franchise record by hitting homers in 19 straight games.
Since July 2, the Angels have an .817 OPS, which is fourth best in the majors. They’ve averaged 5.8 runs per game in that time. That hot streak coincided with the Angels missing injured middle-of-the-order hitters Mike Trout, Brandon Drury and Anthony Rendon.
“This obviously isn’t what our lineup planned to be at the beginning of the season, but each guy that’s come in has bought in and they’re following the plans,” Nevin said. “We’re getting pitches up in the zone and we’re swinging at good pitches to hit. That’s the key to this whole deal, hitting-wise. We don’t chase much. When you throw a strike in the zone, we’re gonna take a good pass at it.”
Moustakas, one of the players the Angels added to bolster their injury-depleted lineup, hit a three-run homer in the fourth to give them a 4-2 lead.
Acquired in a deal with the Colorado Rockies last month, Moustakas has hit five homers in 17 games with the Angels and four of them have either tied the score or given the Angels a lead.
Two outs later, Trey Cabbage blasted his first big league homer, a 448-foot blast that bounced around the rocks in center field.
Zach Neto and Taylor Ward hit homers in the fifth, padding the Angels’ lead to 8-4.
Although the Pirates got one of those back before Ohtani was done pitching, the Angels’ bullpen protected the lead. Lefty Aaron Loup finished the seventh and lefty Matt Moore worked the ninth. Closer Carlos Estévez pitched the ninth, converting his 22nd save without a blown save.
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