On Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels opened their 2021 season with a loss to the Oakland Athletics, but the game was not without its highlights. Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani made his 2021 debut and recorded an impressive 10 strikeouts in six innings of work.
Ohtani, who is entering his fourth season in the majors, was dominant in his first outing of the year. He allowed just one run on three hits and two walks while striking out 10 batters. It was the most strikeouts he has ever recorded in a single game, and he became the first pitcher since 2019 to record double-digit strikeouts in an opening day start.
The Angels were unable to capitalize on Ohtani’s performance, however, as they fell to the Athletics by a score of 4-1. Ohtani’s 10 strikeouts were the most by an Angels pitcher on opening day since Jered Weaver struck out 11 in 2011.
Ohtani’s performance was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing day for the Angels. He showed that he is still capable of being one of the top pitchers in the league and that he can be a major contributor to the team’s success this season.
The Angels will look to bounce back from their opening day loss when they face the Athletics again on Friday. Ohtani will not be pitching in that game, but his impressive performance on Thursday will certainly give the team some confidence heading into the rest of the season.
