Anaheim, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani made his return to Angel Stadium with an RBI triple in his first regular-season game back, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers secure a 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels in 10 innings on Tuesday night.
Ohtani, who went 1 for 4, tied the game in the third inning with his triple before scoring on Mookie Betts’ three-run homer in extra innings.
Shohei, who previously spent six years with the Angels and earned two AL MVP awards, received a warm reception from the crowd. Reflecting on his return, Ohtani said through his interpreter, “The most important part was playing here in front of the Anaheim fans… and most importantly, winning the game.”
The Dodgers led 3-2 in the 10th inning after Miguel Rojas’ RBI single. The Angels then intentionally walked Ohtani to face Betts, who responded by launching a home run off Roansy Contreras (2-4).
Betts, who drove in four runs, understood the Angels’ strategy, saying, “With Shohei being Shohei, I get it. I just wanted a good pitch to hit.”
Ron Washington, the Angels’ manager, explained the decision to walk Ohtani, noting, “You’re picking your poison with those hitters. I respect Mookie Betts, but I couldn’t let Ohtani swing there.”
The Dodgers, who lead the majors, secured their 12th win in 15 games. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that walking Ohtani was a sound baseball decision but added, “As a player, it’s personal when the batter ahead of you is intentionally walked.”
Ohtani was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from a sellout crowd filled with Dodgers fans when he came to the plate as the leadoff hitter. Although the Angels didn’t hold a major tribute, they displayed a graphic highlighting his top accomplishments during his time with the franchise.
Dodgers starter Walker Buehler allowed five hits and two walks over five innings, improving slightly over his previous performances as he aims for a spot in the Dodgers’ postseason rotation.
For the Angels, Logan O’Hoppe and Taylor Ward hit home runs, but they were unable to secure a third consecutive win. Reid Detmers struck out 10 and allowed just three hits over six innings in his first major league appearance since June 1, following a stint in the minors due to inconsistency.
Ohtani’s RBI triple in the third inning tied the game at 1-1, and he scored when Betts singled over the infield. Ward later tied the game again with his 20th homer of the season in the fifth inning, extending his hitting streak to 13 games.
In the ninth inning, Angels reliever Ben Joyce hit 105.5 mph on the radar gun, the third-fastest pitch in MLB since 2008, when he struck out Tommy Edman.
The series concludes Wednesday with Griffin Canning (4-12, 5.19 ERA) pitching for the Angels against Bobby Miller (2-3, 7.25 ERA) of the Dodgers.
