Arlington, Texas – Shohei Ohtani had an RBI triple and a double as he went 2-for-5 Thursday in the Los Angeles Angels’ 7-6 defeat against the Texas Rangers, getting multiple hits for the second straight game.
However, the two-way star was unable to add to his home run total of 45 for the eighth straight game. Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals leads the majors with 48 homers, followed by Vladimir Guerrero of the Toronto Blue Jays with 46.
Batting second as the designated hitter, Ohtani lined a triple to right off Glenn Otto to drive in the game’s opening run and recorded his 99th RBI of the season during the Angels’ five-run first inning. He later doubled to left in the sixth.
Ohtani is now tied for the MLB lead with eight triples as he became the first player in history to get 45 homers, eight triples, 25 doubles and 25 stolen bases in a year.
Ohtani came close to ending his home-run drought in the ninth, but an opposite-field fly to left fell just short of the wall at Globe Life Field.
The season is over for Yu Darvish, meanwhile, after the San Diego Padres placed him on the 10-day injured list with a left hip impingement.
In his first season at the club after moving from the Chicago Cubs, Darvish pitched on opening day but struggled badly after suffering a left hip inflammation in July that saw him miss the All-Star game despite being selected to participate.
The right-hander lost seven straight decisions for the first time in 10 MLB seasons through early September. He ends the season after pitching in 30 games, going 8-11 with a 4.22 ERA.
Elsewhere around the league, the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros clinched their divisions with victories.
The Braves got six strong innings from starter Ian Anderson and home runs from Jorge Soler and Austin Riley to beat the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 5-3, clinching their fourth consecutive National League East championship.
The Astros used a 3-2 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays to win the American League West for the fourth time in five seasons.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.