Shohei Ohtani shows no effects of injury at plate, helps Angels beat Mets
Shohei Ohtani doubled to key a two-run third inning, leading the Angels to a 3-1 win over the New York Mets on Friday night in the first game after the Angels announced the two-way superstar had torn an elbow ligament.
“The guy loves the game — he loves us,” winning pitcher Patrick Sandoval said. “It’s obvious — he’s out there playing after the news that he got and what he’s dealing with. It’s pretty special.”
Ohtani, hurt while pitching Wednesday against Cincinnati, finished one for two with three walks.
“I saw it on the news just like everybody else and I was shocked,” Mets pitcher Kodai Senga said through an interpreter. “I think the whole world was shocked by that news.”
New York (59-70) dropped below Washington into last place in the National League East — the latest the Mets have been in sole possession of the cellar this late in a season since 2005. The Mets and New York Yankees are both in last place this late in the season for the first time.
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A crowd of 38,271 turned out on Japanese Heritage Night at Citi Field and greeted Ohtani with a warm ovation in the first. Ohtani, facing his countryman Senga, made a tipping motion towards the Mets’ dugout and toward Senga before drawing a four-pitch walk.
“He’s a very special player and I think that in itself makes everything special,” Senga said. “I faced him a few times in Japan and I was excited to face him again here.”
Ohtani drew a four-pitch walk in the first. After Nolan Schanuel was hit by a pitch leading off the third, Ohtani ripped a 115.4-mph double that glanced off the glove of right fielder Jeff McNeil. Ohtani advanced to third on Brandon Drury’s sacrifice fly and scored on Mike Moustakas’ single.
Ohtani walked on five pitches in the fifth and grounded out leading off the eighth. The crowd booed in the ninth, when Ohtani was intentionally walked with runners at the corners after Schanuel’s two-out RBI single.
Sandoval (7-10) gave up one run and struck out seven over six innings of two-hit ball. He threw 107 pitches, his most since a career-high 115 on July 30, 2021.
“Just better feel with my fastball today,” Sandoval said. “I have to be able to finish guys when I have two strikes and today I was able to execute a lot more.”
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Matt Moore wriggled out of a first-and-third, no-outs jam in the seventh, when left fielder Randal Grichuk threw out Danny Mendick at home for the final out as he tried scoring on Brandon Nimmo’s flyout.
Carlos Estévez earned his 27th save in 29 chances with a one-hit ninth.
Francisco Lindor homered in the third to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, the longest for the Mets this season.
Senga (10-7) gave up two runs and four hits in 6-2/3 innings and struck out 10 — his third double-digit effort of the season.
“It’s a good night for them and baseball, and they both presented themselves well,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said.
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