Anleitungen » 33rd home run and Arizona held off Atlanta in a matchup

ANAHEIM Brandon Crawford Jersey , Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani could have shut it down already. He could have wrapped up his singular rookie season with the Los Angeles Angels and proceeded straight to the Tommy John surgery looming for him next week.Instead, Ohtani is still slugging away in the eighth inning of a sparsely attended night game in the final days of September between two teams that won’t get anywhere near the playoffs this year.He is facing Texas’ Chris Martin, his teammate last season in Japan. Ohtani pounces on a pitch up in the zone and drives it the opposite way, flashing the all-fields power that still stuns.His shoot hits the top of the left field wall and bounds into the bullpen. The tiebreaking homer is his 22nd of the year, matching his best pro total with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.“You’ve seen him get progressively better as the season has gone on,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “This experience is invaluable to him — to be able to finish strong, see as much pitching as he can, log it and be ready for next year to swing the bat.”Ohtani’s patient, almost ascetic approach to baseball has been evident ever since he agreed to join the Angels last winter. In doing so, he passed up untold millions that he could have made by waiting a couple of years in Japan, instead hurrying stateside to begin the long process of mastering the big leagues as a pitcher and a hitter.So it was no surprise to his teammates and coaches when he decided to keep hitting until October, even after he realized his pitching elbow would require surgery . It’s also no surprise that he plans to hit throughout next season without giving up on his long-term plan to be a two-way player.The 24-year-old is focused on the long view, but every small step along the path is vital.“I think the way I finish the season is really important to me, whether it’s good or bad,” Ohtani said. “Because I know what to work on during the offseason. This time I was able to finish strong, so it was a really good feeling.”Ohtani heads into the Angels’ final three games of 2018 batting .283 with 22 homers, 59 RBIs and a .930 OPS in just 355 plate appearances. Before he felt pain in his pitching elbow in early June, he had 63 strikeouts and a 3.31 ERA in just 10 starts of tantalizing quality.Despite the arm injury that ended his pitching efforts and kept him from batting for most of June, Ohtani is a top contender for the AL Rookie of the Year award. Voters must evaluate Ohtani’s unique talents next to the more conventional hitting prowess of New York Yankees sluggers Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres.Ohtani’s persistence has proven to be one of his greatest strengths — and that isn’t always the case with athletes of his prodigious gifts.When he took a two-month break from pitching, he struggled at the plate to start July — but then batted .328 in August with six homers and 18 RBIs. After his return to the mound in early September went poorly and left him facing the inevitability of Tommy John, Ohtani improbably racked up four homers and 10 RBIs in his first four games back at the plate.The Angels attribute that resilience to Ohtani’s mental toughness http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-brandon-belt-jersey , which is a key complement to his unique skills.“He’s got a great makeup,” Scioscia said. “I think he understands the separation of pitching and hitting. He’s able to take that batting helmet off and put that pitcher’s cap on and go pitch when he’s going to pitch, and when he’s hitting, he’s focused on hitting. He just wants to play baseball, whatever he can do. So I know he’s looking forward to pitching, but I think it’s an easy sideways step for him to become just a hitter. He just loves to play the game.”Away from the field, Ohtani appears to be settled smoothly in Orange County with his new club. While he doesn’t speak in public without Ippei Mazuhara, his translator and constant companion at Angel Stadium, he clearly understands much more English than he did in April — and more Spanish, as evidenced in his spirited recent rendition of “Despacito” on the team bus.Ohtani is finishing this season batting cleanup as the Angels’ designated hitter, and he’s likely to resume that role in 2019. While the Angels remain firmly committed to supporting Ohtani’s two-way skills, everyone around the club is eager to see what Ohtani can accomplish while he’s largely focused on just one side of his two-way game.“The thing about Shohei is he’s got the potential to do it all, and he’s committed to getting there,” Scioscia said. “It’s not often you see that combination in a guy, and he’s got it all.” BOSTON (AP) — Carlos Correa hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and the Houston Astros won their sixth straight game, beating the Boston Red Sox 6-3 on Friday night in a matchup of AL division leaders.The Red Sox, with the best record in the majors, had won three in row.Boston starter David Price had allowed just one hit and retired 14 in a row when he went into the seventh with a 2-0 lead. He left after Alex Bregman’s double and a walk and, after Ryan Brasier took over, the Astros scored three times. J.D. Martinez tied it with a single for his second RBI of the game.Houston scored three times in the eighth. Correa put the AL Central leaders ahead, a wild pitch by Joe Kelly (4-2) scored another run and Tyler White added an RBI single.Ryan Pressly (2-1) got two outs and Roberto Osuna posted his 14th save.Xander Bogaerts hit his 20th home run for Boston.ANGELS 5 Jeff Samardzija Jersey , WHITE SOX 2CHICAGO (AP) — Two-way star Shohei Ohtani homered for the third straight game after learning he will probably need Tommy John surgery, launching a three-run shot to cap Los Angeles‘ four-run third inning against Chicago.Shut down as a pitcher because of the right elbow problem, Ohtani hit his 19th homer of the season to break a tie with Kenji Johjima for the most by a Japanese rookie in the majors.Ohtani, in the lineup as the designated hitter, has four homers in his last three games. Before the game against the White Sox, Ohtani said he plans to finish the season as the DH and hasn’t decided yet if he’ll have Tommy John surgery.Andrelton Simmons added a solo shot in the seventh, and Felix Pena pitched seven strong innings to help the Angels win for the third time in their last four. Pena (2-4) allowed two runs while scattering seven hits and walking none. The righty fanned six.Avisail Garcia hit a solo shot as Chicago’s DH after missing four games with a sore right knee. Omar Narvaez drove in a run with a single. Chicago’s Carlos Rodon (6-5) lasted just 4 2/3 innings.PHILLIES 4, METS 3NEW YORK (AP) — Rhys Hoskins hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning to make a winner of Aaron Nola, and Philadelphia beat New York.Carlos Santana lined an early two-run shot for the Phillies, who trail Atlanta by 2 1/2 games in the NL East. The first-place Braves lost 5-3 at Arizona.Nola (16-4) struck out eight over seven innings to match Washington ace Max Scherzer for the National League lead in wins. Those two are in a tight race with Mets star Jacob deGrom for the NL Cy Young Award, and Nola helped his cause with deGrom sitting in the opposite dugout.The right-hander walked one and gave up three hits, including Dominic Smith’s tying homer in the seventh. Hoskins connected off Tyler Bashlor (0-3), leading off the eighth for his 28th home run.Seranthony Dominguez worked a perfect inning and Tommy Hunter got three straight outs for his fourth save as Philadelphia’s bullpen made quick work of the Mets at the end.RAYS 14, ORIOLES 2ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Blake Snell tied the major league victory lead with his 18th, Nick Ciuffo and Kevin Kiermaier hit early three-run homers and Tampa Bay beat Baltimore.Snell (18-5) matched Cleveland’s Corey Kluber for the major league lead, after allowing two runs, five hits and striking out nine over 5 1/3 innings.Tommy Pham had a fifth-inning solo homer and Ji-Man Choi hit a grand slam in the sixth to help the Rays run their home winning streak to nine. Tampa Bay has won 14 of 17 overall.Baltimore dropped to 41-100, the third 100-loss season since the team relocated from St. Louis following the 1953 season. Dylan Bundy (7-14) was the loser.BLUE JAYS 3, INDIANS 2, 11 INNINGSTORONTO (AP) — Kevin Pillar hit a solo homer in the bottom of the 11th after AL MVP contender Jose Ramirez grounded out with the bases loaded in the top of the inning http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-johnny-cueto-jersey , allowing Toronto to beat Cleveland.Pillar’s second career walkoff home run came off right-hander Adam Cimber (3-6). It was Pillar’s 12th homer of the season. Pillar had reached third base with two outs in the ninth, but Neil Ramirez sent the game to extra innings by getting Richard Urena to fly out.Yan Gomes hit a solo home run for the Indians, who entered with a magic number of seven to clinch their third straight AL Central title. Cleveland loaded the bases with two outs in the 11th, but Danny Barnes (3-2) relieved Jake Petricka and got Ramirez to ground out to second base.Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco matched a season best by striking out 14 over eight innings.BREWERS 4, GIANTS 2MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jesus Aguilar hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to lead Milwaukee past San Francisco.Aguilar sent a low, 0-1 pitch from Tony Watson into the gap in right-center field to score Curtis Granderson and Eric Thames. Hunter Strickland (3-5) started the seventh and walked the pinch-hitters. Watson took over one out later.The Brewers pushed their wild-card lead to 1 1/2 games over St. Louis.Josh Hader (5-1) worked two innings of scoreless relief and picked up the win. Joakim Soria pitched a perfect eighth, and Jeremy Jeffress handled the ninth, earning his ninth save.TIGERS 5, CARDINALS 3DETROIT (AP) — Jeimer Candelario hit a two-run homer with one out in the ninth inning, lifting Detroit over St. Louis.The Tigers won their third in a row. Marcell Ozuna homered twice for St. Louis, which has lost four of six. The Cardinals hold a slim lead for the second NL wild-card spot.Rookie Victor Reyes singled off Jordan Hicks (3-4) with one out and Candelario followed with a drive into the Tigers’ bullpen in left. Detroit closer Shane Greene (3-6) worked a scoreless ninth.PIRATES 5, MARLINS 3PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jordan Luplow hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning, Josh Bell also had a two-run shot and Pittsburgh rallied past Miami.Kevin Kramer drove in his first career run with a two-out single in the seventh that made it 3-3. Luplow then squared up a 1-2 offering from reliever Tayron Guerrero (1-3) for his third homer. Kramer got his first major league hit earlier in the game while making his first big league start.Richard Rodriguez (4-2) pitched scoreless inning. Felipe Vazquez worked the ninth for his 31st save.Lewis Brinson hit a three-run home run to put Miami ahead in the sixth, his 11th. He also doubled and finished 3 for 4.TWINS 10, ROYALS 6MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Eddie Rosario homered, Ehire Adrianza had three hits and three RBIs and Minnesota beat Kansas City to snap a five-game skid.Trevor May (4-1), one of six Minnesota relievers, picked up the win with two shutout innings.Salvador Perez homered and Jorge Bonifacio had three hits for the Royals.Minnesota broke a 6-6 tie with a three-run fifth. Max Kepler and Adrianza had RBI singles against Glenn Sparkman (0-3). Rosario tacked on his team-leading 23rd home run leading off the eighth.REDS 12, PADRES 6CINCINNATI (AP) — Scott Schebler’s grand slam set a Reds season record, and Phillip Ervin homered twice as Cincinnati pulled away to a rain-delayed victory over San Diego.Schebler connected off Rowan Wick in the sixth for Cincinnati’s 10th grand slam of the season, setting a club record and putting the Reds up 10-4. Ervin had a solo homer and a two-run shot Mark Melancon Jersey , the first multi-homer game of his career. The start was delayed by 2 hours, 37 minutes because of rain.Michael Lorenzen (3-1) was the winner, and Matt Strahm (3-4) took the loss.DODGERS 4, ROCKIES 2DENVER (AP) — Clayton Kershaw threw six strong innings, Kenta Maeda finished the ninth in place of All-Star closer Kenley Jansen as Los Angeles moved within a half-game of NL West-leading Colorado.Kershaw (7-5) baffled the Rockies and allowed two runs and six hits. Yasiel Puig homered and had an RBI single for the Dodgers.Jansen didn’t make the trip after a team cardiologist recommended he not pitch at altitude after suffering an irregular heartbeat episode in Denver last month.Chris Rusin (2-3) took the loss for the Rockies, who had their five-game winning streak halted.YANKEES 4, MARINERS 0Masahiro Tanaka struck out 10 in eight innings, and Gleyber Torres and Andrew McCutchen each hit a two-run homer as New York handed Seattle its fifth shutout of the season.Tanaka (11-5) allowed three hits and no walks. He is 7-0 against the Mariners in his career and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four of his last five starts.McCutchen’s two-run shot in the third was his first homer as a Yankee since coming over in the trade with the Giants. Torres hit a two run-homer, the rookie’s 23rd.James Paxton (11-6) took the loss and every Seattle starter struck out at least once.A’s 8, RANGERS 4OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Rookie Ramon Laureano hit two home runs and Marcus Semien also went deep as Oakland beat Texas.Oakland won for the fourth time in five games overall and seventh in eight against Texas.The A’s remain 3 ½ games behind first-place Houston in the AL West and 3 ½ back of the New York Yankees for the top AL wild card. They moved 6 ½ games ahead of Seattle for the second wild card.Texas lost for the eighth time in 11 games.DIAMONDBACKS 5, BRAVES 3PHOENIX (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt hit his 33rd home run and Arizona held off Atlanta in a matchup of slumping playoff contenders.The NL East-leading Braves lost for the fourth time in five games and had their edge over Philadelphia cut to 2 1/2 games.The Diamondbacks, who had lost five of six, moved within 1 ½ games of Colorado atop the NL West.Goldschmidt homered for the ninth time in 27 games and reached base in all five of his plate appearances, going 2 for 2 with three walks. Daniel Descalso’s two-run single highlighted a three-run third inning.Patrick Corbin (11-5) struck out nine in six innings. Brad Boxberger picked up his 32nd save.Johan Camargo homered, doubled twice and drove in two runs for Atlanta.Braves starter Kevin Gausman (9-10) lasted 4 2-3 innings. He was charged with four runs on seven hits with four walks and four strikeouts.