Power surge: Ohtani, Trout electrify L.A. with HRs
CHICAGO — Shohei Ohtani homered in consecutive innings, including a 459-foot shot that is his longest of the season, and drove in four runs to lead the Los Angeles Angels over the Chicago White Sox 12-5 on Wednesday.
Mike Trout put the Angels ahead 2-0 with a 461-foot home run in the first that was four rows shy of clearing the left-field bleachers. Taylor Ward also went deep as the Angels hit four two-run homers plus a solo shot, their most home runs in a game this season.
“Those are the guys you lean on,” manager Phil Nevin said. “They can certainly put the team on their backs and carry us, and that’s what they did today.”
Ohtani drove a first-pitch fastball from Lance Lynn (4-6) in the third just to left of straightaway center, where the ball was dropped by a fan who tried to glove it. That 425-foot drive put the Angels ahead 4-1.
Lynn didn’t even bother to turn and look when Ohtani hit a full-count fastball more than a dozen rows over the bullpen in right-center in the fourth. The two-way Japanese star is batting .269 with 15 homers and 38 RBIs to go along with a 5-1 record and 2.91 ERA.
“I’m feeling good right now,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I’m putting good swings on pitches I should be hitting hard.”
Ohtani increased his career total to 13 multihomer games with his first this season. He now has nine home runs of at least 450 feet in his career, all coming in the past three seasons and tied with Ronald Acuna Jr. and Salvador Perez for second in MLB in that span, behind only C.J. Cron, who has 16. He also has 12 career home runs in 31 games against the White Sox, his most against any team not in the American League West.
Trout pulled a hanging curve for his 13th home run and longest of the season. It was the 10th of his career of at least 460 feet, and since he entered the league in 2011, the only players with more at that distance are Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge.
Ward hit a two-run homer against Jesse Scholtens in the seventh, and Chad Wallach, pinch hitting for Ohtani, had a solo homer in the ninth off Garrett Crochet.
“Usually when that happens, we’re in a good spot to win,” Trout said.
Trout and Ohtani homered in the same game for the fifth time this season, the most of any duo in MLB. The Angels are 5-0 in those games. It was the 27th time they both homered in a game since they became teammates in 2018, with the Angels going 19-8 in those games.
The Angels hit a pair of 450-foot or more home runs in the same game for the first time since Statcast started tracking in 2015.
Lynn allowed eight runs, eight hits and two walks while hitting two batters in four innings, raising his ERA to 6.55. He has given up 15 home runs, one short of the major league high of the Kansas City Royals‘ Jordan Lyles. Lynn had won his previous three starts.
“It seemed like he didn’t get away with any today,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Just one of those days, man.”
Jaime Barria (2-2) gave up one run and four hits in five innings with six strikeouts and two walks.
Los Angeles won two of three from the White Sox after being swept by the Miami Marlins last weekend.
The Associated Press and ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.
