Rafu Wire and Staff Reports
ANAHEIM — At Angel Stadium on Saturday, Shohei Ohtani hit his 16th home run in the Angels’ 5-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
Batting third as the designated hitter, Ohtani knotted the game 1-1 in the third with his solo blast off Seattle starter Logan Gilbert (8-3).
The Japanese two-way star finished 1-for-4 and was intentionally walked.
Veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki also went deep the following inning, hammering the first pitch he saw with two out, for his second homer of the season.
With a chance to tie or win the game with two outs and two on in the ninth, Ohtani hammered an 0-1 pitch but lined it at the right fielder to end the game.
On Sunday, Ohtano was 0-for-2 with a pair of walks in the Angels’ 2-1 victory over the M’s.
Yusei Kikuchi made an early exit following another difficult start Saturday, lasting just two-plus innings of the Toronto Blue Jays’ 5-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
The left-hander was charged with the loss after giving up five runs, two earned, and leaving with none out in the third at Milwaukee’s American Family Field. He allowed six hits, including two home runs, while striking out five and walking one.
Three of the runs came in the second, when he surrendered an RBI single to Willy Adames and a two-run homer to Andrew McCutchen.
Keston Hiura got the start at first base for the Brewers, and had a hit, stole a base and scored a run in his four at-bats.
Kikuchi (2-4) has lost three of his last five starts and has not recorded a win since May 16.
The 31-year-old former Seibu Lions star, who moved to Toronto from the Seattle Mariners at the start of the season, said he was in good shape and attributed his inability to consistently throw strikes to a “technical issue.”
“I’m putting all of my power through my arm, and it feels the same way it does do when I throw strikes,” Kikuchi said. “I’ve been in good physical condition since the start of the season.”