After Los Angeles’ 4-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night, Shohei Ohtani said he was frustrated with the way he pitched. According to manager Phil Nevin, it was apparent that Ohtani has been dealing with some fatigue.
The Angels" two-way superstar bounced back after leaving his previous start early because of cramping in his right middle finger. He threw six strong frames without any issues, giving the Angels a much-needed series win over San Francisco and helping Ohtani make more history.
Trainers came out to check on Shohei after he was favoring his back while he was pitching. He's staying in the game for now though pic.twitter.com/Sy3T8WlaoH
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 10, 2023
With the victory, he became the first player in MLB history to tally 10 wins and hit 40 homers in the same season.
"The wins, obviously we need to score runs to get a win, and I’m in the batter’s box, but I need the support of my teammates," Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. "It just shows we’re playing well [offensively]. And I’ve hit some home runs."
Ohtani, though, was visibly frustrated as he went back into the dugout after the inning, yelling to himself as he exited the mound.
Shohei was frustrated walking off the mound after the sixth after getting visited by trainers pic.twitter.com/tL9GnZMRlb
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 10, 2023
"Throughout the whole game, I was just frustrated with the way I was pitching," Ohtani said. "I didn’t really feel right the whole game."
Ohtani’s right middle finger has been an issue since early July, as it started out as a blister and a cracked fingernail before cramping set in against the Mariners on Thursday.
Favorite to win the AL MVP Award for the second time in three seasons, he improved to 10-5 with a 3.17 ERA in 22 starts this season. He also struck out five and has 165 strikeouts in 130 2/3 innings.
