ARLINGTON -- A day after becoming just the second American League player to join the 45-homer, 25-stolen base club, two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani reached yet another milestone with an RBI triple on Thursday against the Rangers.
It was Ohtani's eighth triple of the year -- which ties him for the Major League lead with Arizona's David Peralta -- and he became the first player since Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt in 1980 to have at least 45 homers and eight triples in a season. His three-bagger gave him 99 RBIs on the year and helped spark a five-run first inning in a 7-6 loss in the series finale at Globe Life Field. Ohtani, the frontrunner for the AL MVP Award, also doubled in the sixth, giving him 79 extra-base hits this year, which trails only Toronto's Marcus Semien (85).
"You don't really have any words," said veteran right-hander Alex Cobb, who was saddled with a no-decision. "I cannot paint a picture well enough for what he's able to do. And then to continue to just play hard every day. He's taking extra bases, stealing bases. He goes first to third better than anybody in the game. And you're proud to have him as a teammate because he shows up and he plays hard and he really wants to win. You like to have that guy on your side."
Ohtani joins elite company, as the other players in AL or NL history with at least 45 homers and eight triples in a season are Hall of Famers Jim Rice, Willie Mays, Eddie Mathews, Ernie Banks, Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. But notably, Ohtani is the only player to ever have 45 homers, eight triples and 25 stolen bases in a season. With 45 homers, he ranks third in the Majors behind Kansas City’s Salvador Perez (48) and Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (46).
Ohtani hasn’t homered since Sept. 21, but he is still finding other ways to contribute. He is slashing .304/.568/.609 with three triples, nine RBIs and 14 walks over his last eight games since then.
"Ever since he started accepting his walks more readily, he's definitely gotten better,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “He's got better balance, you're seeing the ball go to left field again.”
And, of course, Ohtani has also been an elite pitcher in 23 starts this year, going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 130 1/3 innings. No player in the modern era has ever led the league in triples and recorded more than one strikeout as a pitcher in a season. Ohtani won’t start this Sunday in Seattle, but he will serve as designated hitter for all three games in the series.
“Everybody sees what happens out on the field every day, and it's easy to turn on the TV and just see it,” Cobb said of Ohtani’s two-way prowess. “But when you go through a baseball season, the grind of just getting from city to city, hotel to hotel and going through slumps and getting yourself out of it. The mental grind just as a pitcher. Preparing for a start, studying hitters, it takes a toll on you.”
Ohtani came to the plate in the first with Brandon Marsh at first base after he led off with a single off right-hander Glenn Otto. Ohtani drilled a 1-1 changeup down the right-field line with an exit velocity of 106.7 mph and slid into third safely, with Marsh scoring the game's first run. It spearheaded the Angels jumping out to an early five-run lead.
But Cobb was hurt by a three-run homer from DJ Peters in the third and a two-run shot from Adolis García in the fifth. He went five innings and finishes the season with a 3.76 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 93 1/3 innings.
Ohtani showed off his speed with his double in the sixth off lefty Brett Martin with two outs. With the shift on, Ohtani hit a grounder to left field and beat out the throw from left fielder Willie Calhoun for a hustle double. But he was stranded after a walk from Jared Walsh, as Max Stassi struck out looking to end the inning.
Reliever Jimmy Herget gave up the lead on a two-run double from Brock Holt in the eighth, and Ohtani nearly tied it up with a deep drive to left to open the ninth, only for Peters to make a running catch at the wall.
“That last one was very, very close,” Maddon said. “He's just more balanced and more centered and using the middle of the field more, and I think you'll continue to see that in Seattle."
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