Shohei Ohtani homers in last home game before trade deadline as the Angels beat the Pirates 7-5
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 36th homer in the two-way superstar's final home game before the trade deadline, and the Los Angeles Angels wrapped up a strong homestand with a 7-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
Ohtani drilled a low line drive to center field in the first inning, giving him 24 homers in his last 45 games. Only five other major leaguers entered Sunday with more than 24 homers for the entire season, but Ohtani has rekindled his June power surge after the All-Star break with four homers during the Angels' nine-game homestand.
Fans still left Angel Stadium not knowing whether they'll ever see Ohtani in a home uniform again, although the Halos' recent team success seemingly decreases the odds of a trade. Los Angeles owner Arte Moreno must decide whether to risk losing Ohtani in free agency this winter.
General manager Perry Minasian has said the Angels are highly unlikely to deal Ohtani if they remain in playoff contention. The Angels are still in the AL wild-card race, although it currently features seven teams separated by roughly six games for the final two spots.
Andrew Velazquez and Luis Rengifo hit back-to-back homers during the Angels' four-run fifth inning, and Rengifo added another homer in the sixth. Mickey Moniak also extended the majors' longest active hitting streak to 14 games during Los Angeles' sixth victory in eight games.
Tyler Anderson (5-2) yielded eight hits while pitching into the seventh inning for the Angels. Carlos Estévez worked the ninth for his 23rd save.
Bryan Reynolds homered for the Pirates, who have lost seven of nine out of the break. Liover Peguero got his first career RBI on his second major league hit during Pittsburgh's four-run seventh.
Mitch Keller (9-6) allowed three homers for the first time in his career while giving up nine hits and six runs over five innings with seven strikeouts in his third straight winless start. Pittsburgh's ace earned his first major league victory during the Pirates' previous visit to Angel Stadium in August 2019.
Reynolds hit his first homer since July 5 in the first inning, but Ohtani's drive tied it.
Velazquez got his first RBI of the season with a homer into the short right-field porch, and Rengifo homered on Keller's next pitch. Ohtani then drew a walk, advanced on Moniak's single and scored on Taylor Ward's single.
Peguero doubled home Nick Gonzales in the seventh and then alertly scored from third when reliever Jacob Webb dropped Thaiss' throw back to the mound and was slow to retrieve the ball. Carlos Santana added an RBI double before Webb escaped the jam.
Pittsburgh got the tying run to the plate in the eighth and ninth, but couldn't capitalize.
DELAYED START
Ohtani will make his next mound start Friday in Toronto, manager Phil Nevin said. The Angels pushed back Ohtani's final pitching appearance before the trade deadline to give him an extra day of rest and to avoid putting him in line to start a Wednesday afternoon game in hot, humid Atlanta the following week — one day after the trade deadline. Nevin is worried the humidity could cause a reoccurrence of the finger blister that bothered Ohtani earlier this month.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: SS Zach Neto missed his second straight game with back pain. Nevin hopes the rookie can play next week, saying Neto is “better today, but still pretty stiff.” ... OF Mike Trout “feels awesome,” Nevin said. The three-time AL MVP is doing grip-strengthening exercises after having the stitches removed from surgery on his broken hand. Trout still can't grip a bat, and he isn't expected back for several weeks.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Quinn Priester (0-1, 11.81 ERA) makes his second major league start when Pittsburgh travels down the California coast to open a three-game series in San Diego on Monday night. The 22-year-old right-hander got lit up for seven runs by Cleveland in his debut a week ago.
Angels: Nevin plans to play golf with his son, Tigers infielder Tyler Nevin, on Monday before the Halos send Griffin Canning (6-4, 4.52 ERA) to the mound Tuesday night to open a three-game series in Detroit.
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