Shohei Ohtani (17) of the Angels in the dugout before the game against the Nationals at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 8, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tyler Wade (14) of the Angels singles on a bunt to third advancing Brandon Marsh (16) to second in the 4th inning in a game against the Nationals at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 8, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shohei Ohtani (17) of the Angels walks back to the dugout after striking out swinging in the bottom of the 7th inning in a game against the Nationals at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 8, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Andrew Velazquez (4) of the Angels forces out Nelson Cruz (23) of the Nationals at second base in the 2nd inning in a game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 8, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shohei Ohtani (17) of the Angels watches the ball as he flies out to center in the 5th inning in a game against the Nationals at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 8, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Patrick Sandoval (43) of the Angels pitches against the Nationals in a game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 8, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shohei Ohtani (17) of the Angels in the dugout before the game against the Nationals at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 8, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Max Stassi (33) of the Angels gets a hand slap from Andrew Velazquez (4) after Stassi crosses the plate off a single by Jack Mayfield (9) that scored Stassi and Jared Walsh (20) in the bottom of the 6th inning in a game against the Nationals at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, May 8, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
ANAHEIM — This time, the heart of the order got the job done.
Two innings after the Angels’ big hitters had struck out three times in a row to waste an opportunity, Shohei Ohtani and Anthony Rendon delivered clutch hits in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Angels to a dramatic 5-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
“You’re playing with fire when those guys come up in the middle of that order,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “You saw what they can do really quick.”
Angels manager Joe Maddon certainly wasn’t discouraged after Trout, Ohtani and Rendon had all struck out to strand a runner in the seventh.
“When you see Trout, Ohtani, Rendon, (Jared) Walsh, that’s kind of nice,” Maddon said. “That’s really kind of nice. From a managerial perspective, I have a lot of faith in these guys. If any of them are really not on top of their game yet, they will be. That’s how I look at it. They are that good.”
The Angels had some work to do in order to get them to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Trailing 4-2, pinch-hitter Luis Rengifo drew a one-out walk. Taylor Ward then poked his second hit of the day into right field.
Trout struck out, which took some of the wind out of the sails of the Angel Stadium crowd.
Ohtani lost his balance on his a huge cut on the first pitch against Tanner Rainey. Ohtani then got a slider and he hammered it to straightaway center field, narrowly missing a game-winning homer. He settled for a game-tying double.
The direction of the ball was a continuation of what Ohtani has increasingly done over the past two weeks. Instead of pulling so many ground balls to the right side, he’s now getting the ball in the air and using the whole field. Although his .235 average and .685 OPS are below expectations, he’s showing signs of improvement.
“The last couple games I’m actually feeling a lot better, getting a better angle on the balls I’m hitting,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “Hitting the ball in the air. I think a few more days and I should be able to get there.”
After Ohtani’s drive tied the game, Rendon had the chance to win it. He drilled the second pitch he saw into center field. Ohtani hustled around to slide home just before the throw, capping the victory.
Although Rendon was asked the knee-jerk question about whether he personally needed a moment like that to help get out his early-season slump, he swatted that idea away and turned the story back to team on the other side of the field, the one he helped win the 2019 World Series.
“I’ll hit .200 as long as we keep winning games,” Rendon said. “Yeah, it (stinks). It’s frustrating, but I mean, not many people get to feel what we felt when we won the World Series and to be the last team standing. That means a lot more than any personal accomplishments. It’s a team game. It’s no like playing golf.”
Rendon was quick to point out that the importance of Rengifo’s walk, and Jack Mayfield’s two-run single as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning, which cut the deficit to 3-2. He referred to Jaime Barria, who kept the deficit at two runs by pitching two scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth.
Maddon also gushed over reliever Oliver Ortega, who gave up a quick run on three straight hits in the seventh, but then struck out the next two hitters and got a groundout to prevent a big inning.
And back in the third inning, shortstop Andrew Velazquez made a sensational diving stop over the middle, with a behind-the-back flip, to get a force at second.
Starter Patrick Sandoval gave up a run on that play in the third, and then another after a pair of soft hits and a sacrifice fly in the sixth. He was charged with a third run after he left in the sixth inning.
“I definitely felt a lot better with my stuff today,” Sandoval said. “I think most of the contact today was pretty soft. So that was good to see. It’s kind of annoying letting up soft hits like that. But keeping the team in the game is what I’m trying to do… Keeping the team in the game for a chance to do what they did. It’s awesome.”