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Shohei Ohtani will be making his 11th pitching start for the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday afternoon at 4:07 p.m. ET against the San Francisco Giants. The game will air on Bally Sports West, NBC Sports California, MLB Network, the MLB app, and MLB.tv.
Ohtani will also be making some history at the plate. For the first time, an AL team will have a pitcher batting instead of using the designated hitter while the NL team is using the DH.
#Angels lineup with Shohei Ohtani pulling double duty. First time ever that an AL team has the pitcher hitting with the DH rules in place and the NL team is using a DH. “Why not Shohei, why not us?” Maddon said. pic.twitter.com/4mdWFGh71o
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) June 23, 2021
Ohtani has wheeling and dealing on the mound for the Angels this season, which is what they need to help an average at best starting rotation. The 26-year-old is making his 11th start this season, which surpasses the total starts (10) he had in his rookie season in 2018. The two-way star has a 3-1 record, 2.70 ERA, along with recording 73 strikeouts in 53.1 IP for the Angels.
The AL MVP candidate is already off to a great start this month with a 2-0 record, 2.65 ERA, 23 strikeouts, and 3 walks through three outings. In his last start against the Detroit Tigers, Ohtani only allowed 5 hits (1 HR), 1 earned run, 1 walk, and still managed 5 strikeouts in 6.0 IP. He’s also been swinging a hot bat at the plate this month, slashing .286/.429/.786 with 8 HRs and 14 RBI.