On Tuesday night, Shohei Ohtani made history by becoming the first Japanese-born pitcher to win a game in the major leagues since 1964. Despite conceding four home runs, the Los Angeles Angels’ ace still managed to earn a 8-5 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
Ohtani was the first Japanese-born pitcher to start a game since Masanori Murakami in 1964. Murakami, who was with the San Francisco Giants at the time, earned a win in his first start. Ohtani followed suit, becoming the first Japanese-born pitcher to win a game since then.
The Angels’ ace had a rocky start to the game, conceding two home runs in the first inning. He then conceded two more in the fourth inning, but still managed to keep his team in the game. The Angels’ offense came alive in the sixth inning, scoring four runs to take the lead.
Ohtani was able to settle down after the fourth inning and pitched three scoreless innings to finish off the game. He finished with six strikeouts and allowed eight hits in total.
The win was a historic moment for Ohtani and for Japanese baseball as a whole. He became the first Japanese-born pitcher to win a game in the major leagues since 1964 and showed that he can compete at the highest level.
The Angels are now 3-1 on the season and will look to build on this victory as they look to make a push for the playoffs. Ohtani will be an integral part of their success this season and will look to continue his strong start to the season.
