Sho-time: Ohtani wins mound debut

OAKLAND, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani could finally exhale after a whirlwind week. Three days after getting his first career hit, he earned a win on the mound.

Impressing Angels manager Mike Scioscia with his poise and repertoire, the two-way player from Japan won his major-league pitching debut Sunday. He threw three-hit ball over six innings in a 7-4 victory over the Athletics.

“I feel like I got off to a good start, and obviously the team went 3-1 on the first road trip, so I’m very happy with the results,” Ohtani said through a translator.

Reaching the upper 90s with his fastball and keeping the A’s guessing with a nifty splitter, Ohtani struck out six and retired 14 of his final 15 batters. He walked one, and the only damage came on Matt Chapman’s threerun homer in the second.

“After that three-run shot, Scioscia came up to me and said I’m doing fine,” Ohtani said.

Ohtani began the seasonopening series by singling on the first pitch he saw as a big-leaguer. He capped the weekend with his first win.

“He showed really good command and was able to move the ball in and out, up and down, and we had a hard consistent contact Chapman said.

Ohtani began the game with four straight outs, striking out three, before allowing consecutive singles to Matt Joyce and Stephen Piscotty that set up Chapman’s home run.

“He used everything,” Scioscia said. “Outside of maybe one stretch of three hitters in the second inning, that’s about as well as you could pitch. Shohei has shown great poise in everything he’s done.”

Ohtani didn’t bat while pitching. Albert Pujols went 0-for-5 as the DH. time getting off of him,”