The Los Angeles Angels continue their upward trend in the second half and are evolving the issue of the ‘Ohtani Trade’ that has been burning hot.
I think the expression desperate would be appropriate.
The Angels beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-5 in a home game held at Angel Stadium on the 22nd (Korean time) and won 4 consecutive wins.카지노사이트
The Angels, who showed a good record of 5 wins and 2 losses in 7 games in the second half, kept 3rd place in the AL West division and 6th place in the wild card, which marked 50-48. It is 8 games away from the district leader Texas Rangers, but it is 4 games away from Toronto Blue Jays, 3rd place in the wild card. Fangraphs raised the Angels’ chances of advancing to the playoffs to 15.0%. This figure, which fell to 6.9% on the 17th, has more than doubled in the past five days.
The Angels starting pitcher that day was Shohei Ohtani. However, Ohtani was hit with four home runs and allowed five runs in 6⅓ innings. It was three consecutive games following the San Diego Padres match on the 5th (5 runs, 7 hits in 5 innings) and the Houston Astros on the 15th (5 hits, 5 runs in 5 innings). His ERA, which was 3.03 at the end of June, soared to 3.71.
Local reports say Ohtani has not yet recovered from a blister on his right middle finger and a nail problem. Ohtani broke his middle fingernail against the Chicago White Sox on the 28th of last month, and suffered a blister on the 5th against San Diego. Until this day, it is an analysis that he could not completely throw the ball because he was stopped for 4 consecutive games.
On this day, the average fastball speed was 96.8 miles, below 97 miles. The sharp taste of the sweeper and cutter also seems to have fallen. The 4 homeruns were 2 cutters, and the sweeper and fastballs were 1 each. This is the first time Ohtani has allowed 4 homers in one game, including MLB and NPB days.
Angels starting pitcher Ohtani runs to the mound in the top of the first inning to start the game. USATODAY Yonhap News
MLB.com said, ‘Ohtani’s 3 consecutive games were sluggish due to blisters and nail issues. “It still doesn’t look perfect,” he said. “This could be a concern for Ohtani’s future.”
Anyway, the Angels won the game with Ohtani and continued their winning streak, so they can have hopes of advancing to the playoffs for the time being. Some even say that Ohtani should be strengthened rather than traded. It means that the position may change from ‘seller’ to ‘buyer’.
However, looking at the possibility, the Angels still have a lot to overcome before playing fall baseball. MLB.com said, “The Angels, who won an important victory, can become a buyer ahead of the trade deadline with a sense of relief that they do not have to trade Ohtani.”
When the Angels finish their home game against Pittsburgh on the 23rd and 24th, they will go on a 9-game road trip from the 26th to August 3rd. The trade deadline is August 2nd.
Perhaps because of this, the 40,309 home fans who filled Angel Stadium that day cheered Ohtani by shouting “MVP!” Until the end of this month, how long Ohtani will wear the Angels uniform cannot but be of utmost interest.