Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout blast monster homers to power Angels’ win
CHICAGO — Shohei Ohtani hit a home run in consecutive innings, including a 459-foot shot that is his longest throw this season, and led the Los Angeles Angels 12-5 over the Chicago White Sox in four runs on Wednesday.
Mike Trout gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a 461-foot first-round home run, four rows from clearing the stands in left field. Taylor Ward also went deep as the Angels hit four two-run homers and a solo shot, their most homers in a game this season.
“Those are the guys you lean on,” said manager Phil Nevin. “They can definitely support the team and carry us and they did that today.”
Ohtani ran a first-pitch fastball from Lance Lynn (4-6) in the third just left of center, where the ball was dropped by a fan attempting to snag a gloved hand. That 425-foot dash gave the Angels a 4-1 lead.
Lynn didn’t even bother to turn and look as Ohtani hit a full-count fastball more than a dozen rows over the right-center bullpen in the fourth round. The two-time Japanese star is batting .269 with 15 homers and 38 RBIs, along with a 5-1 record and a 2.91 ERA.
“I’m feeling good right now,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I make good swings on pitches that I’m supposed to hit hard.”
Ohtani increased his career total to 13 multihomer games with his first this season. He now has nine career homers of 450 feet or more, all in the last three seasons, and tied for second in MLB with Ronald Acuna Jr. and Salvador Perez in that span, behind only CJ Cron, who had 16 He also has 12 home runs in 31 career games against the White Sox, his most against a non-American League West team.
Trout hit a hanging curve for his 13th home run and the longest of the season. It was the tenth time in his career that he had covered at least 460 feet and since joining the league in 2011, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge are the only players with more at that distance.
Ward hit a two-run home run against Jesse Scholtens in the seventh, and Chad Wallach, who pinch hitted for Ohtani, had a solo home run against Garrett Crochet in the ninth.
“Usually when that happens we’re in a good position to win,” Trout said.
Trout and Ohtani scored in the same game for the fifth time this season, more than any other duo in MLB. The Angels are 5-0 in these games. It was the 27th time they both hit a home run in a game since becoming teammates in 2018, with the Angels going 19-8 in those games.
The Angels hit two home runs of 450 feet or more in the same game for the first time since Statcast began tracking them in 2015.
Lynn allowed eight runs, eight hits and two walks while hitting two batters in four innings, taking his ERA to 6.55. He has given up 15 home runs, one short of the major league high set by the Kansas City Royals’ Jordan Lyles. Lynn had won his last three starts.
“It seemed like he got away with nothing today,” said manager Pedro Grifol. “Just one of these days, man.”
Jaime Barria (2-2) gave up one run and four hits with six strikeouts and two walks in five innings.
Los Angeles won two of three games against the White Sox after being defeated by the Miami Marlins last weekend.
The Associated Press and ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.
