Shohei Ohtani bests SF Giants in rubber match loss

The San Francisco Giants’ final game in Anaheim was possibly their most difficult. They’d be facing Shohei Ohtani, the likely American League MVP, not just as a designated hitter, but also as the starting pitcher.

Ohtani was not the Giants’ destroyer in a 4-1 loss at Angel Stadium on Wednesday night. They were defeated by an increasingly sluggish offense. With runners in scoring position, the Giants went 0-for-5 and left 10 on base.

The Giants were unable to capitalize on Ohtani’s rare off-night, as he struggled to find his release point and struggled to locate his fastball. Meanwhile, as the featured pitcher following opener Ryan Walker, his counterpart, Sean Manaea, was pitching one of his most dominant outings of the season. With a one-run lead, the Giants appeared to be on their way to a series victory behind their versatile left-handed pitcher.

However, the margin for error was too narrow. Manaea had held the Angels hitless through four innings, striking out six batters, until Luis Rengifo’s double to start the sixth.

Tristan Beck couldn’t close the door; Brandon Drury singled, and Rengifo scored on Joc Pederson’s ball fumble. Then, after Ohtani was intentionally walked, Mike Moustakas hit a three-run home run into right field, giving the Angels a three-run lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

It was a rare blunder for Beck, who hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs since allowing three against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 25.

“That sweeper has been so good, and he surprisingly left that one up that Drury was able to drive to left field, and the same could be said for the one to Moustakas,” manager Gabe Kapler said.”I think he wants to get that pitch underneath the zone, and both of those guys put good swings on the ball.”

The Giants’ only run came in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Crawford. The Giants increased Ohtani’s pitch count and applied pressure to a shaky Angels defense as he fell behind in counts.

Michael Conforto led off with a ground-rule double, and Patrick Bailey walked to set the stage for Crawford. Angels catcher Matt Thaiss helped them out with a botched pick-off attempt at second base, hurling the ball to a trailing Crawford with no infielder within two feet of the bag.

Ohtani threw 32 pitches in that inning, but the one run was unearned because the Giants were unable to capitalize on their strategic advantage. Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to have at least 40 home runs and 10 wins with the victory. He pitched six innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits while walking three and striking out five.

The Giants have now lost ten of their last eleven road games, including two to the last-place Oakland A’s. They return home for a three-game series against former Giants manager Bruce Bochy’s first-place Texas Rangers, which begins Friday.