Ohtani hits homer, Bundy strikes out 10 in Angels’ win
Shohei Ohtani homered in his first plate appearance since being shut down as a pitcher, Dylan Bundy struck out 10 in the third complete game of his career and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 6-1 on Thursday.
Ohtani drove a 1-0 pitch from Seattle starter Taijuan Walker to the opposite field just beyond the leap of left fielder Dee Gordon leading off the second inning in Seattle. It was Ohtani’s third home run of the season, all coming against the Mariners.
The Angels shut down Ohtani’s arm for the rest of this truncated season after he strained the flexor pronator mass near the elbow. His recovery from the strain requires him to abstain from throwing for four to six weeks, which covers most of the shortened 2020 season.
Bundy (2-1) allowed four hits and retired 17 of his final 18 batters. It was the fifth complete game in baseball this season.
BRAVES 4, BLUE JAYS 3 >> Nick Markakis capped his first start of the season with a game-ending home run in the ninth inning that lifted the Atlanta Braves over the Toronto Blue Jays. Days after opting back into the season after stepping away due to coronavirus concerns, Markakis lined the one-out homer off Wilmer Font (0-1) that carried into the restaurant behind the right-field stands.
INDIANS 13, REDS 0 >> José Ramírez homered from both sides of the plate and drove in four runs, and the Cleveland Indians routed the Cincinnati Reds. Ramírez hit a solo drive batting from the left side against Luis Castillo in the first inning. He connected again during Cleveland’s 10-run seventh, belting a two-run drive off left-hander Cody Reed.
Ramírez also homered from both sides of the plate during a 9-2 victory over Kansas City on July 26. According to STATS, he is the first player in major league history to accomplish the feat twice within his team’s first 15 games of the season.
PHILLIES 5, YANKEES 4 >> J.T. Realmuto hit a three-run homer, Hector Neris struck out Aaron Judge in a big spot, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Yankees. Phillies starter Zach Eflin allowed two unearned runs and four hits, striking out five in four innings in his first start this season.
PIRATES 6, TWINS 5 >> Kevin Newman’s two-run pinch-single with one out in the ninth inning lifted the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Minnesota Twins. Newman ended Pittsburgh’s sevengame losing streak when he took a pitch from Minnesota closer Taylor Rogers (1-1) and laced it up the middle against a drawn-in infield.
Miguel Sano hit a three-run home run, and Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario also went deep for the Twins, who saw their six-game winning streak snapped.
ROYALS 13, CUBS 2 >> Whit Merrifield, Maikel Franco and Jorge Soler homered, and the Kansas City Royals stopped a six-game slide by pounding the Chicago Cubs.
Chicago had won six in a row.