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Shohei Ohtani Hit two three-run homers, including a dramatic tying drive at the bottom of the ninth inning. He scored a career-high eight runs, the most by a Japanese-born player in major league history.
And somehow, it still wasn’t enough for him Los Angeles Angels to defeat Kansas City Royals,
Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after hitting a home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 in Anaheim, Calif. Mike Trout and Tyler Wade also scored.
(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Whit Merrifield led the 11th inning with an RBI double, and the Royals overcame Ohtani’s historic performance for a 12-11 win on Tuesday night.
Ohtani crushed a 423-foot homer in the sixth and a binder, 438-foot shot in the ninth, giving him the biggest RBI game of his five-year statesside career. The AL MVP set the single-game record for an RBI by a Japanese-origin player with a sacrificial fly in the 11th inning.
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Though he never complains publicly, Ohtani would be completely justified in feeling disappointed by his Los Angeles teammates’ lackluster pitching performance behind his latest heroes. But the Royals knew they won with some notable hitting of their own, including historic games for both Carlos Santana and rookie Bobby Witt Jr.
“It’s one of the funniest games I’ve ever been a part of,” said Witt, who had his first multiple-homer game, driving a career-high four runs. “Just from top to bottom, there was a lot of energy going on. It was a blast. … Ohtani every time or (Mike) Trout Come over the plate, you hold your breath out a little. It’s fun watching them play and hopefully they don’t do as much damage as they did against us (tonight).”
Whit Merrifield (15) of the Kansas City Royals doubles during the eleventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 in Anaheim, Calif. Nikki Lopez scored the goal.
(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Ohtani’s eighth RBI was not enough, as both Merrifield and Kyle Isbell first scored from 11th-placed Jose Quijada (0-2).
Daniel Mengden hit Trout with two Angels on base before Ohtani took off, and he retired Jared Walsh at the game-ending popup. Mengden made his first save of the season and the second of his career as Kansas City secured their fifth win in six games despite a five-run lead in the sixth and a three-run lead in the ninth.
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“Just the energy and the fight, the way we just kept punching,” said Kansas City manager Mike Matheny. “We’ll take one, and they keep coming back. That’s what I love to see. … You see a game like that, and it’s one that starts to repeat itself.”
Santana scored four hits and a season-high five for the Royals, who toppled the Angels’ staff in the third inning despite losing to slugger Salvador Perez with a thumb injury. Kansas City led 6–1 through the sixth before the Angels’ Star Hitters finally went through.
With Ohtani’s excellence, Walsh doubled, tripled and homerided, driving in two runs for the Angels. He fell just short of his second cycle in 11 days.
“It’s a prick,” said Angels interim manager Phil Nevin. “That room is hurting there. You feel like it’s in your grasp, and you’ve worked hard to get back in it. We never got the edge, but there were a lot of great performances. We got the bat under control.” Swirls smoothly. In some tight places.”
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Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after hitting a home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 in Anaheim, Calif. Mike Trout and Tyler Wade also scored.
(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Ohtani reduced the Angels’ deficit to 6-4 when he moved his 14th homer to the right-center. Royals starter Jonathan Hesley had four hit balls in the sixth before Otani chased down the shot.
Kansas City led 10-7 after Santana’s late RBI single and Witt’s two-run homer entered the bottom of the ninth, but Tyler Wade singled out and Trout hit Ohtani home without a doubt on the right. Gone before leaving.
Dylan Coleman (2-1) trapped two Angels runners in the 10th.
Santana began his monster game with an RBI double and a two-run homer before adding an RBI single in the sixth and eighth. Witt made a home in the first innings, added an RBI double from the wall in the seventh and conceded two runs to a homer in the ninth.
shy
Walsh received three extra-base hits in four innings in the middle of the game, but failed to hit two extra at-bats. He completed a single shy of matching his first career cycle against the Mets on June 11.
historical hit
two japanese players He had previously scored seven runs in a major league game. Tadahito Iguchi matched it for the White Sox in 2006, and Hideki Matsui matched it for the Yankees in 2009.
Nevin threw
Nevin was dropped in the seventh inning after a heated argument with the umpiring crew during a pitching change. Nevin was furious about a debatable balk call on Helos reliever Andrew Wontz earlier in the game.
instructor room
Royals: Perez injured his thumb while swinging but remained in the game and completed his bat. The catcher said he would have an MRI exam of his left thumb on Wednesday, and he wouldn’t be surprised if he missed a few days. “Hopefully it’s nothing bad,” Perez said. “I just have to wait.”
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Ohtani (5-4, 3.28 ERA) looks to stitch together three straight Mound wins in the series finale against Kansas City’s Daniel Lynch (3-6, 5.19). Ohtani’s only previous pitching was back in his AL Rookie of the Year season in 2018 against Kansas City.