ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 44th homer in the first inning before he abruptly left the mound in the second due to arm fatigue during the Los Angeles Angels' 9-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader.
Elly De La Cruz had a career-high six RBIs with a three-run homer and a three-run triple for Cincinnati following the latest early departure of Ohtani, who has been bothered by nagging injuries on the mound all summer.
Ohtani faced six batters and threw 26 pitches before he departed with a 2-2 count on Christian Encarnacion-Strand, following a brief consultation with the training staff. Ohtani skipped his previous turn in the Angels' rotation to rest his arm, and he has now left five starts early this summer with injuries including finger blisters, a cracked fingernail and cramping.
The two-way superstar homered and pitched in the same game for the seventh time this season, with his two-run shot moving him past Atlanta's Matt Olson to reclaim the MLB lead. Ohtani also left the game as Los Angeles' designated hitter, and rookie Nolan Schanuel reached base four times after replacing him.
De La Cruz hit his 11th homer in the fifth, connecting three pitches after Angels shortstop Andrew Velazquez got an error for short-hopping a throw to first on what should have been an inning-ending grounder. Los Angeles also lost Tuesday’s game because Cincinnati scored three unearned runs after Schanuel botched De La Cruz's grounder that should've ended the inning.
The Reds’ sensational 21-year-old rookie shortstop then cleared the bases in the seventh with a triple off Dominic Leone. De La Cruz, who had driven in only seven previous runs in all of August, is the first Reds batter with at least six RBIs in a game since Colin Moran did it in May 2022.
Starter Andrew Abbott yielded five hits and four walks in four innings for Cincinnati. Buck Farmer (4-5) threw 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Long Beach native Spencer Steer had three hits and drove in two runs in his second straight big game for Cincinnati against his favorite childhood team.
Tyler Anderson (5-5) relieved Ohtani and allowed just one earned run over 4 2/3 innings for the Angels, whose dreams of ending their eight-year playoff drought are all but dead after 15 losses in their last 20 games.
Mike Trout didn't play in the first game after feeling sore in the morning. The three-time AL MVP returned Tuesday night from a seven-week injury absence with a broken bone in his hand.
Reid Detmers (3-9, 4.93 ERA) will start the nightcap for Los Angeles. Cincinnati likely is throwing a bullpen game.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Reds: Hunter Greene will get an extra day of rest, pushing his next start to Saturday. The 24-year-old Los Angeles native with the 100-mph fastball missed two months with hip pain before returning Sunday.
Angels: Rookie SS Zach Neto will begin baseball activities Friday while on the team's road trip. “Hopefully it's a quicker little ramp-up,” manager Phil Nevin said. Neto has missed 18 games with lower back inflammation, his second major injury this season.
UP NEXT
Reds: Brandon Williamson (4-3, 4.47 ERA) is slated to take the mound Thursday in Phoenix to open a four-game series against the Diamondbacks.
Angels: Open a nine-game trip Friday against the New York Mets.
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