Go beyond the scoreboard
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1
This is an important season for the Angels, considering that they are not guaranteed another season with Shohei Ohtani. The team, looking to end its more than eight-year playoff drought, got off to a winning start.
It’s much too early to put much weight on these early games, but here are three takeaways from the Angels’ first six games of the season.
2
Double trouble again
Angels’ Shohei Ohtani bats during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday in Seattle.
(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)
Shohei Ohtani has not slowed down from his dominance of the last two seasons.
In his first two starts, he showed that when he’s on his game, he’s every bit an ace pitcher. And when he doesn’t have his best command … well, he’s still an ace.
In Seattle on Wednesday, for example, he struggled in the 48-degree weather, walking four batters, giving up three hits and hitting two batters in an inning (and game) for the first time in his MLB career. He also had two pitch clock violations, one as a pitcher and one as a hitter. He gave up just one earned run and struck out eight batters.
As a designated hitter, he went six for 21 over the six games, with two home runs, three runs scored total and six RBIs. He also has a 29-game streak of reaching base safely (dating to last season), the second-longest active streak after the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge (39 games).
Shohei Ohtani held Seattle to one run in six innings and drove in a run at the plate, leading the Angels to a 4-3 win over the Mariners on Wednesday.
3
The rookie
Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe greets teammates after hitting a two-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning on Wednesday in Seattle.
(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)
Rookie catcher Logan O’Hoppe was thrust into primary catching duties with Max Stassi on the injured list because of a hip strain.
O’Hoppe hit his first two big league home runs and had eight RBIs — the latter a franchise record for a rookie through the first six games of a season. Previous record-holder Wally Joyner had six RBIs in his first six games of 1986.
O’Hoppe also became the first Angel to drive in at least one run in each of the first three games of a season since Mike Trout in 2017.
4
No worries
Angels third baseman Gio Urshela tags out Seattle Mariners’ Eugenio Suarez during a rundown after Suarez hit an RBI single during the seventh inning on Wednesday in Seattle.
(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)
The Angels had a glaring problem at third base last year after Anthony Rendon had surgery on his right wrist. Gio Urshela was among the offseason trades general manager Perry Minasian made to improve the team’s depth.
Urshela provided solid defense and offense each game, showing that the Angels are just fine at third without Rendon — who is serving a four-game suspension and will also be given games off to rest through the year.
The dawn of the pitch-clock era has fundamentally changed the game for pitchers and catchers, especially when things go haywire on the mound.
In the second game in Oakland, Urshela shifted to third base after Rendon came out and fielded a grounder down the line that he turned into a game-ending double play. And at shortstop — where he started and figures to get reps when Rendon is at third — he expertly smothered a grounder with his body, flipping the ball to Luis Rengifo while still on the ground to secure an out at second base.
Urshela is seven for 21, has scored five runs, hit a double and logged two RBIs in five games — he had a day off Tuesday. He returns to Anaheim batting .333 with a .745 OPS.
