Anaheim, California – Kenta Maeda fanned four batters over six shutout innings Saturday, earning his sixth win as the Minnesota Twins trounced the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays 12-0.
Shohei Ohtani, meanwhile, blasted his MLB-leading 39th home run in the Los Angeles Angels’ 8-2 loss to the Houston Astros.
Maeda (6-4) allowed just three hits and a solitary walk, while hitting one batter at Target Field. Relievers Ralph Garza Jr. and Danny Coulombe completed the three-hit shutout.
Brent Rooker homered and added a double to lead a Twins attack that featured multiple hits from four batters.
Facing one of the top lineups in the majors, Maeda retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced, getting through six scoreless frames in only 76 pitches.
“I was able to do a good job of disrupting the opposing batters’ timing,” said Maeda, who credited the Twins offense for making his job easier. “When we score runs, it gives me more margin for error and I just settled into a rhythm.”
At Angel Stadium, Ohtani led off the first inning with a homer against Astros starter Luis Garcia to take a 1-0 lead. Serving as designated hitter, the two-way superstar got hold of Garcia’s 1-1 changeup and sent it high over right center field.
Jake Meyers smacked two homers, driving in five runs, to spark the Astros to the comeback win.
Outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugo has been released by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City, MLB.com reported Saturday.
Playing his second season in the majors, Tsutsugo moved from the Rays to Los Angeles in May, but was waived by the Dodgers last month after being sent down to Oklahoma City while rehabbing a calf injury.
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