Ohtani rocked for 4 HRs, still gets win vs. Pirates
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani allowed four homers for the first time in his major league career while pitching six-hit ball into the seventh inning and earning the mound victory in the Los Angeles Angels‘ 8-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.
Pirates rookie Henry Davis became the first major league player to homer twice off Ohtani. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft had three hits off Ohtani, and Ji Man Choi and Jack Suwinski also homered in Pittsburgh’s power spree from the fourth to the sixth innings.
Ohtani (8-5) had allowed three homers in three previous starts over his six seasons with the Angels, but the two-way superstar had never yielded four homers in a start in the majors or during his years in Japan’s top league.
The Angels bailed out Ohtani with their own homer-happy display: Mike Moustakas hit a three-run shot, and Trey Cabbage hit his first major league homer in the fourth before Zach Neto and Taylor Ward homered in the fifth.
Ohtani pitched through his struggles and didn’t leave the game until the seventh inning, allowing five runs on six hits with nine strikeouts. He got a standing ovation amid chants of “M-V-P! M-V-P!” from Angels fans in his final mound start at home before the major league trade deadline Aug. 1.
The Angels have said they’re unlikely to trade Ohtani, particularly if they’re in the playoff race at the deadline. Los Angeles had a 1-10 swoon around the All-Star break, but has won five of six since to keep its fans’ hopes alive.
Ohtani scored two runs while drawing three walks at the plate for the Angels, who have won four in a row.
All-Star closer Carlos Estévez pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.
Mickey Moniak drove in Ohtani with an early double before the Angels’ four homers. The Halos homered in their 19th consecutive game overall, setting a new franchise record by surpassing the 1982 team.
Despite their impressive work against Ohtani, the Pirates opened a six-game Southern California road trip with their sixth loss in seven games since the break.
Johan Oviedo (3-11) yielded five runs on three hits and three walks over four innings.
Ohtani had five strikeouts in the first three innings, but Choi drilled a belt-high cutter into the elevated right field stands for the game’s first run in the fourth. Davis followed three pitches later with his third career homer, blasting an even worse breaking ball to deep left.
Jared Triolo followed the Pirates’ eighth back-to-back homers of the season with a single, but Ohtani recovered and escaped the jam. He then drew a leadoff walk and scored from first on Moniak’s double to the warning track in right.
One batter later, Moustakas delivered his fifth homer in 17 games since joining the Angels.
Later in the inning, Cabbage turned Oviedo’s fastball into a 448-foot homer, the first for the 26-year-old infielder who got his first major league callup one week ago.
Suwinski trimmed the Pirates’ deficit to 5-4 with his 20th homer in the fifth.
Neto led off the Angels’ fifth with the eighth homer of his impressive rookie season. After Ohtani struck out and reached base on a wild pitch, Ward drove him home with his 12th homer.
Wisconsin will start true freshman quarterback Carter Smith at No. 2 Indiana on Saturday, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel, replacing Danny O’Neil after the sophomore was carted off the field with a right leg injury last week.
O’Neil was injured on a 21-yard keeper during the first quarter of last Saturday’s 13-10 win over then-No. 23 Washington. He had a towel over his head as he was carted to the locker room.
Smith made his season debut following O’Neil’s injury, completing 3 of 12 passes for 8 yards while rushing for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Also available to the Badgers at quarterback is senior Hunter Simmons, who is 48-for-95 for 485 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions this season.
For Indiana, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt is doubtful to play, sources said. Sarratt, who is tied for the Big Ten lead with 10 touchdown receptions, injured his hamstring against Maryland on Nov. 1 and missed the Penn State game last week.
With Indiana having a bye next week, Sarratt is on track to return against Purdue on Nov. 28.
Quarterback issues have hindered Wisconsin all season and throughout coach Luke Fickell’s three-year tenure.
Billy Edwards Jr. was Wisconsin’s first-team quarterback at the start of the season, but he sprained his knee in the second quarter of the Badgers’ opener and has played only one full series since.
Tanner Mordecai missed 3½ games with a broken hand in 2023. Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke tore his ACL in the third game of the 2024 season.
Wisconsin’s intended season-opening starting quarterback has been available for the entirety of only 11 of the 34 games the Badgers have played since the beginning of the 2023 season. The last time Fickell had his season-opening starting quarterback healthy for a full game was in a 27-13 victory over South Dakota on Sept. 7, 2024.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava will not play Saturday against No. 1 Ohio State because of a concussion, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Iamaleava was injured during last week’s loss to Nebraska. He began experiencing concussion symptoms after the game, according to On3, which first reported that Iamaleava would not play.
With Iamaleava out, redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan will make his first career start. Duncan has not attempted a pass in college as he tries to take down the top-ranked Buckeyes.
Iamaleava has thrown for 1,659 yards with 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in his first year with the Bruins after transferring from Tennessee.
He led UCLA to three straight wins in October, including a victory over then-No. 7 Penn State, but the Bruins (3-6) have lost two straight and need to win out to become bowl eligible.
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