Can Ohtani help Angels close gap on Astros?
Rookie faces defending champs for first time
Yes, Shohei Ohtani has captured baseball’s imagination in the early part of the season, but can he be as good as Charlie Morton?
What once might have seemed like a silly question represents one of the intriguing aspects of Tuesday’s clash between the defending World Series champion Astros and the Angels at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
For the Angels to have any chance to dethrone the Astros as American League West champs, they’ll likely need the Ohtani who astonished the game’s followers by winning his first two starts and belting three homers in the first 10 games. He has predictably cooled off at the plate since — though still boasting a robust .997 OPS — and is coming off a rough start against the Red Sox.
Ohtani’s matchup against Morton illustrates the difficult task in front of the Angels and, in fact, the entire division.
Ohtani, who left his last pitching outing with a blister issue after giving up four hits and three runs in two innings, arrives with a 2-1 record and a 3.60 ERA. His 19 strikeouts against four walks in 15 innings provide a more accurate indication of his ability to overwhelm a lineup.
Yet a betting man would likely opt to put his money on Morton, who so far has been arguably the league’s best pitcher. The 11th-year right-hander, who resurrected his career in Houston last season, has not allowed an earned run in three of his four starts, going at least six innings each time.
Not only is Morton leading the AL with a 0.72 ERA, but he boasts a 0.88 WHIP while striking out 33 and walking just six.
Now, here comes the best part: Morton is slotted fifth in the Astros rotation, which includes the next two top starters in the league by ERA in Gerrit Cole (0.96) and Justin Verlander (1.10). No wonder the Astros, with an MLB-best 2.22 ERA, again sit atop the division with a 16-7 record, ahead of the Angels by 11⁄ games
2 going into Monday’s game.
Houston’s hitters are sure to be primed for their first crack at Ohtani and certain to have done their homework to devise ways to lay off his plummeting splitter, which might not be as effective if the blister is a problem.
“It’s recovering as planned,” Ohtani told reporters Sunday when he was elevated to the cleanup spot, becoming the first player in more than 50 years to hit fourth in the same season when he made at least three pitching starts.
The Angels certainly don’t need Ohtani to carry the offense, not with Mike Trout leading the majors with nine home runs and going deep in each of his past three games. Plus, Justin Upton and Albert Pujols, who is eight hits shy of the magical 3,000 mark, will help pick up the slack.
But manager Mike Scioscia’s faith that the rookie from Japan could handle cleanup duties behind Trout and Upton underscores his rare abilities. Ohtani, who threw a bullpen session before Sunday’s game, is batting .333 in 42 atbats despite typically not hitting on the days when he pitches or the day before and after.
He’s still projected to be better as a pitcher, and that figures to be his most important role down the road for the Angels, whose rotation has been battered by injuries in recent seasons.
Contending with a Houston club that likely will be a force for years to come, with key players including Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman under team control at least through 2021, the Angels will counter with the game’s best player in Trout, a solid complement in Upton and a non-pareil shortstop in Andrelton Simmons. All are signed through 2020.
Ohtani represents the big mystery. His evolution might determine whether the Angels can eventually tilt this contest in their favor.