Ohtani will face the Twins for the first time this season from the 13th.
Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani will face the Twins at home on the 12th (13th Japan time). Before the first match of the season, Nash Walker of “Twins Daily” was already wary of Otani in the Twins podcast “Locked On Twins”.
“Let’s start with the stars. The Angels have two stars, but one won’t play. The other star, Shohei Ohtani, will play,” Walker said. and Trout called him “Star”.
Since Ohtani is not scheduled to pitch, he said with relief, “He won’t pitch this weekend…that’s a big deal for the Twins.” But he said, “We’re still in the line-up. Neither Mike Trout nor Anthony Rendon will be in.”
Since July 1, the Angels have been struggling 12-22. Team OPS .642 is 27th in the majors since Trout’s injury, but Ohtani is over .900. Ohtani’s presence stands out from the stats, and he said, “The Angels’ offensive lineup after Trout was out is terrifyingly terrible, except for Shohei.” “This is good news for the Twins’ pitching staff, as they are going up against an offense that isn’t very good,” he said.
Regarding Ohtani, who is the “only threat”, “Ohtani is tough.” We can’t afford to lose.” He continued, “It’s very simple. If Shohei is doing well, hitting three home runs and hitting seven or eight hits, I expect the Twins to lose the series. I think we have a pretty good chance of winning the series. He has that kind of influence. We can’t lose because of him.”
“I’m glad Ohtani didn’t pitch. It’s fun to watch him pitch if it’s not against the Twins,” he said. Even before the match, his presence terrifies the opposing team’s reporters, as they say, “He’s super good. Other than him, he’s no good, but he’s amazing.”
(Full-Count editorial department)