RAFU WIRE SERVICE REPORTS
MINNEAPOLIS — Two-way star Shohei Ohtani hit for the 11th straight game on Sunday, tying his longest streak in the MLB as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Minnesota Twins 10-3.
Batting third as designated hitter, Ohtani went 2-for-5 and plated a run. He tied his record with a runner on second and one out in the first inning when he singled to center off a 2-2 fastball from Dylan Bundy (8-8).A throwing error from Gilberto Celestino saw the Angels score the opening run and Ohtani reach second.
The reigning American League MVP scored on a Matt Thaiss single.
The Angels led throughout the game with Ohtani singling to left off Trevor Megill to plate a run in the five-run ninth at Target Field.
Ohtani, who has not homered in the last 13 games, is seven short of reaching 100 RBIs for the second straight year with nine games remaining this season.
Also on Sunday, Lars Nootbaar had a hit in four at-bats, but his St. Louis Cardinal lost to host Dodgers, 4-1. Nootbaar had five hits in the weekend series that saw teammate Albert Pujols hit his 700th career home run.
Keston Hiura collected a hit and a walk, but the Milwaukee Brewers suffered a setback in their hunt for a Wild Card spot, losing 2-1 to the Cincinnati Reds.
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On Saturday in Denver, Yu Darvish threw six solid innings to match his career high of 16 wins as the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3.
Darvish (16-7), who previously won 16 games in his major league rookie year in 2012, allowed two runs and five hits, striking out eight and walking one at Coors Field. The right-hander won his sixth straight start.
Darvish, the NL Player of the Week for Sept. 12-18, yielded a leadoff home run to Ryan McMahon in the first inning but quickly recovered and settled in.
Padres manager Bob Melvin sent Luis Garcia to the mound to replace Darvish after his offense scored six runs to open up a 9-2 lead in the seventh. Darvish threw 87 pitches, 63 for strikes.
“I managed to pitch persistently,” Darvish said. “With our offense, I usually get a win if I throw about six innings and limit the damage to two or three runs.”