Shohei Ohtani is back, and Major League Baseball is all the better for it. His performance on Sunday night proves as much, as he aided the Los Angeles Angels in their 7-4 walk-off win. First of all, he returned to the mound for the first time in the regular season in over a year. He was electric, recording 100+ MPH pitches eight times and allowing three runs on two hits in 4 2/3 innings. He also hit in the two-hole, hitting and pitching in the same game for the very first time in his MLB career, and he would smack a monstrous home run to right field.
The exit velocity was the highest in the majors so far this season, as was the 100.6 MPH pitch he made in the first inning. Feats like these draw plenty of eyeballs in, and it’s easy to see why the Japanese star is such a prime time choice for fans to watch. He did exit the game in the fifth inning, but he is said to be ‘fine’ after taking a cleat. After his departure, there were further fireworks to be had. The Chicago White Sox had fought back from 3-0 down to tie the game. Then Jared Walsh took over. He hit a home run in the fifth to put the Angels back in front, only for the game to be tied in the top of the ninth at four apiece. Up stepped Walsh again in the bottom of the ninth, however, and he would hit a three-run walk-off homer to win the game, sending the Angels to 3-1 thus far.
