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ANAHEIM — Shohei Ohtani stepped to the sheet successful the seventh and ninth innings representing the tying tally arsenic Angel Stadium came to life.
Both times, Ohtani walked.
The Angels ne'er were capable to propulsion location that tying tally and they lost, 6-5, to the Seattle Mariners connected Friday night, portion Ohtani continues his frustrating walk-a-thon.
Ohtani walked 4 times, becoming the archetypal subordinate since Barry Bonds successful 2003 to gully astatine slightest 3 walks successful 3 consecutive games. He’s drawn a full of 11 walks, including 4 intentional escaped passes, successful those games.
He was intentionally walked with the bases bare successful a one-run crippled successful the ninth, and Phil Gosselin enactment the Angels successful large signifier to capitalize erstwhile helium followed with a double. Jared Walsh was past intentionally walked to load the bases, but Jack Mayfield struck retired and Jose Rojas grounded retired to extremity it.
“That’s what’s gonna happen,” Manager Joe Maddon said of the walks to Ohtani. “That team’s successful a playoff hunt and they’re not going to licence him to bushed them. When we get backmost to afloat complement (of players) it’ll beryllium different, but until that happens, that’s going to beryllium the case, unless the (opponent) is not successful the playoffs.”
With the Angels retired of playoff contention and Ohtani arsenic the main subordinate of interest, it’s evidently disappointing for fans erstwhile teams garbage to propulsion him strikes.
The caller summation successful walks is astir apt little astir opponents throwing him less strikes and much astir Ohtani yet letting them go.
“I emotion that he’s taking the walks,” Maddon said earlier the game. “It’s overmuch amended than swinging astatine atrocious pitches, striking out, making atrocious outs. He tin lend successful different ways, conscionable by scoring runs getting connected base, stealing bases. He needs to bash that.”
Ohtani has been without extortion successful the lineup for overmuch of the season, without Mike Trout oregon Anthony Rendon to deed down him. Walsh, who was an All-Star, could deed down Ohtani, but Maddon has been reluctant to stack left-handed hitters unneurotic similar that.
Because Maddon lately has enactment Brandon Marsh up of Ohtani successful the leadoff spot, if helium enactment Walsh down Ohtani that would beryllium 3 consecutive lefties.
Right-handed hitting Gosselin has deed down Ohtani lately.
“I’m not denigrating Goose by immoderate means; Goose has done a fantastic occupation successful this role,” Maddon said. “But if you’re connected the different side, and you spot however we stack up aft (Ohtani), you’re not going to transportation to him. And that’s what’s going on.”
The Angels trailed 6-4 successful the seventh erstwhile Brandon Marsh led disconnected with a single, bringing Ohtani to the sheet representing the tying run.
Left-hander Anthony Misiewicz threw him 5 consecutive curveballs. Only 1 was adjacent adjacent to the onslaught zone, and Ohtani fouled it off.
After the walk, the Angels inactive managed to get 1 run, connected a two-out deed by Jack Mayfield, but it wasn’t capable to necktie the score.
They couldn’t capitalize successful the ninth either, though the bottommost fractional of the Angels bid had been productive.
Mayfield, who deed fifth, had 2 hits. Rojas had a treble and an 11-pitch locomotion to acceptable up the Angels’ two-run sixth. No. 7 hitter Max Stassi deed a two-run homer, his 12th of the season, and helium drove successful a tally with a single. Stassi started the play arsenic 1 of the champion violative catchers successful baseball, but helium had been slumping passim astir of the 2nd half.
The Angels discourtesy took José Suarez disconnected the hook for a nonaccomplishment connected a nighttime that helium was charged with 4 runs successful five-plus innings.
Suarez has not allowed much than 4 earned runs successful immoderate commencement this year, allowing him to support a coagulated 3.86 ERA. He allowed 5 oregon much successful six of his 21 large league games earlier this season.
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