Ohtani pitches clean 7 innings, Angels beat Blue Jays 2-0
TORONTO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani struck out nine in seven innings and Andrew Velazquez homered, helping the Los Angeles Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Saturday.
Ohtani (11-8) allowed two hits — a single for George Springer in the first and a two-out double for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the third — in his career-best 11th win. David Fletcher had three hits and scored the winning run on Luis Rengifo’s single in the sixth.
Jimmy Herget completed the double as the Angels won back-to-back games after losing the previous six, shutting out the Blue Jays for the second straight day.
Los Angeles, which won 12-0 on Friday, recorded its 16th shutout, the best in the AL.
Toronto spoiled a strong performance by All-Star right-hander Alek Manoah (12-7), who struck out eight in seven innings.
Velazquez hit his eighth homer against Anthony Bass in the ninth. He also went deep on Friday.
Ohtani threw a season-high 109 shots, 72 for strikes, in his first win since Aug. 9 at Oakland. He lowered his ERA to 2.67.
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Herget struck out all six batters he faced on his third save in four occasions.
At plate, Ohtani scored first, struck out in fourth and reached on a defensive pick in sixth.
Waiting for a 3-2 shot from right-hander Yimi Garcia in the eighth, Ohtani called for time and pulled out of the box. Referee Shane Livensparger did not grant the request but Garcia’s pitch missed high, giving Ohtani his second walk.
Already upset by Ohtani’s walk, Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider was ejected for arguing with Livensparger after Garcia walked next hitter Mike Ford on five pitches. The ejection was Schneider’s first.
Manoah went five innings before getting into trouble in the sixth.
Fletcher led off with a single and Mike Trout walked before Ohtani beat a would-be runner on double play, with the first base call canceled on the replay. Rengifo led Fletcher with a first-pitch single to the left.
Springer started in center field for the first time since being taken off the injured list Aug. 15. Springer’s sore right elbow had limited him to DH duties since his return.
Springer scored a single on his first at bat, extending his season-long hitting streak to 11.
THIRTY YEARS SINCE 1992
The Blue Jays honored their 1992 World Series champion team in a pre-game ceremony. Former players, staff and executives in attendance included Dave Winfield, Dave Stieb, Todd Stottlemyre, Duane Ward, Candy Maldonado, Juan Guzman, World Series MVP Pat Borders and manager Cito Gaston.
Instead of a ceremonial first pitch, slugger Joe Carter and pitcher Mike Timlin recreated the final from Toronto’s extra-game victory in Game 6 at Atlanta, which came when Timlin fielded Otis Nixon’s bunt at the mound and first threw to Carter.
NUMBER OF PITCHES
Ohtani threw 108 consecutive home shots in June, both wins. He beat Kansas City on June 22 and the White Sox on June 29.
SHORT-LIFE SUCCESS
Angels outfielder Ryan Aguilar got his first career hit at fifth, a right double, but Blue Jays outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. kicked out Aguilar at third base by a wide margin.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: DE Teoscar Hernández (left foot) did not start. Hernández fouled a foot ball in the first set on Friday and left the game in third.
NEXT
Angels left-hander Tucker Davidson (2-4, 6.23 ERA) starts Sunday’s series finale against Blue Jays right-hander Ross Stripling (6-3, 2.84 ERA). Stripling has allowed two or fewer earned runs in six straight starts.
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