Ohtani’s two home runs, steal key victory

ANAHEIM >> Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs Friday in the Angels’ 8-7 win over the Baltimore Orioles, becoming the first Angel ever to hit 30 home runs before the AllStar break.

More impressive: Ohtani’s two steals of second base in the ninth inning, one of which led to the game-winning run.

Ohtani drew a one-out walk from pitcher Paul Fry in a 7-7 game. With a 1-and-1 count on the next batter, Anthony Rendon, he stole second base.

But home plate umpire Todd Tichenor ordered Ohtani back to first when Rendon tapped the catcher, Pedro Severino, on the back of the helmet with his follow-through.

Undaunted, Ohtani attempted to steal second base again. This time he was successful, with no threat of interference to send him back to first.

Jared Walsh then delivered the game-winning hit, a line-drive single into right field. Ohtani slid home safely, sending the announced crowd of 23,561 at Angel Stadium into a frenzy.

The Angels (40-41) have won four of their last five games. The last two have featured winning rallies in the ninth inning. Walsh had the big hit each time; Wednesday in New York, he hit a grand slam in the ninth inning of the Angels’ 11-8 win over the Yankees.

Ohtani was the star on Friday. He went 2 for 4 with a walk, driving in three runs and scoring three more. He became the first player in Angels history to hit 13 home runs in a 15-game span, and the first player in American League history to record 30 homers and 10 steals in his team’s first 81 games of the season.

Ohtani is on pace for 60 home runs and 24 stolen bases.

Angels starter Griffin Canning allowed a home run in each of the first two innings. Trey Mancini slugged a ball 451 feet to straightaway

center field, high enough to clear the row of shrubs above the wall, to give Baltimore a 1-0 lead. Domingo Leyba’s solo shot in the second inning made it 2-0.

The Angels tied the game 2-2 on Jose Iglesias’ seventh home run.

Canning needed a reasonably efficient 43 pitches to record the game’s first eight outs. The final out of the third inning proved elusive.

Canning threw 19 pitches without retiring a batter. Four runs scored on two singles, two doubles, and two walks. The Angels quickly trailed 6-2 and right-hander Aaron Slegers was summoned from the bullpen to record the final out of the inning.

The six runs Canning allowed matched a season high. It was the third time in 13 starts he’s failed to complete three innings. The righthander did not factor into the decision but saw his earned-run average rise from 4.95 to 5.60.

Ohtani began the Angels’ comeback by clobbering a 92-mph fastball from Keegan Akin into the right-field bleachers, his first home run of the game. The next batter, Anthony Rendon, singled and scored on a Max Stassi line drive. The Angels trailed 6-4.

In the fourth inning, Taylor Ward greeted right-hander Dillon Tate with a single. He scored on an RBI single by David Fletcher, which extended Fletcher’s hitting streak to a career-high 16 games.

Down 6-5, Ohtani hammered a 2-and-1 sinker down the middle of the plate over the left-field fence. The opposite-field homer gave the Angels a 7-6 lead.

The score held until the sixth inning. Right-hander Steve Cishek relieved Jose Quintana with two outs and a runner on first base, Cedric Mullins. Cishek was immediately charged with a balk after shuffling his feet and throwing to first base. That put Mullins in scoring position for a double by Austin Hays, tying the game 7-7.