For the primary time since their iconic showdown within the 2023 World Baseball Basic, Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout confronted one another in a giant league recreation — and as soon as once more, Ohtani got here out on high. In Wednesday night time’s Freeway Collection finale at Angel Stadium, Ohtani struck out his former teammate each occasions they squared off, sending Dodgers followers right into a frenzy regardless of the crew’s 6-5 loss.
Of their first assembly, Ohtani got here proper at Trout with 5 consecutive fastballs between 98–99 mph, working the depend full earlier than freezing him with a backdoor sweeper for strike three. The second matchup was simply as electrical: a pair of sweepers for balls, a 98 mph heater fouled off, a 99 mph fastball for a strike, and at last, a 101 mph laser on the skin nook that left Trout wanting as soon as once more.
Courting again to the WBC, Trout has now struck out all thrice he’s confronted Ohtani, making contact with simply one of many 17 pitches thrown his means. As one fan, Donovan Wahe, posted on X: “He can’t contact Shohei, I want he nonetheless wore purple…”
Whereas Ohtani’s efficiency in opposition to Trout drew headlines, it got here in the course of a tough stretch for the Dodgers. Solely six weeks in the past, on July 3, Los Angeles held a nine-game lead within the NL West. Now, after shedding 21 of their final 33 video games — together with being swept in all six conferences with the Angels this season — they path the surging San Diego Padres by a recreation.
Angels sweep Dodgers in Freeway Collection
“Clearly, it does not really feel good to fall into second place and to lose quite a lot of these video games,” Ohtani stated by way of his interpreter. “We’re doing all the pieces in our energy, having shut conferences… We simply must do a greater job.”
Ohtani gave the Dodgers a spark early, tripling to guide off the sport and scoring in a three-run first. On the mound, he took a 5-2 lead into the fifth and struck out Luis Rengifo, however three straight one-out hits trimmed the result in one and ended his night time after a season-high 80 pitches.
The bullpen, already with out as many as six high-leverage arms as a result of harm, couldn’t maintain on. Within the eighth inning, Logan O’Hoppe’s bases-loaded, two-run single sealed the Dodgers’ destiny for the second straight night time. In the meantime, the offense continues to sputter, rating seventh worst in MLB with a .661 OPS since Independence Day.
The loss prolonged Los Angeles’ skid to 4 video games and marked their first day out of first place since April 27. Subsequent up is a pivotal weekend collection in opposition to the Padres, who’re using a five-game win streak and bolstered by aggressive trade-deadline strikes that introduced in nearer Mason Miller, catcher Freddy Fermin, and bats Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Laureano.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts tried to maintain the main focus regular: “It’s massive, nevertheless it sort of is what it’s… Now we have to simply take a look at it as the identical recreation as at this time and play our recreation and never attempt to get too excessive or too low.”
Given the historical past between the groups — together with a benches-clearing incident of their final collection — this NL West showdown could possibly be as a lot about depth as it’s about standings. And if Wednesday’s Ohtani–Trout encore was any indication, the celebs will be certain the highlight stays vibrant.