Shohei Ohtani gets the win as the Angels thump Guardians behind a bunt and a blast

Energy — on the plate and on the mound — is the Angels’ signature function. Particularly when Shohei Ohtani is the pitcher and within the batting order.

But that doesn’t preclude supervisor Joe Maddon from using small ball when the scenario requires it. And laying the groundwork for it as properly. So when Tyler Wade laid down an beautiful bunt within the second inning, beating the throw by a half a step to load the bases with none out, it was the product of preparation.

Taylor Ward adopted with a grand slam, his third house run in three video games, giving the Angels a cushion they by no means relinquished in a 9-5 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday evening at Angel Stadium. Ward additionally tripled and doubled, simply the newest instance of the Angels’ pop on the plate.

Ohtani survived a tough starting to ship the win, the Angels’ fourth in a row. Ward’s grand slam and Ohtani’s 97-mph fastballs turned indelible recollections for the followers, however Wade’s bunt confirmed the Angels can finesse in addition to pummel.

A day earlier, a number of Angels hitters together with Wade have been on the sphere 4 hours earlier than the sport engaged on bunting. They pushed and dragged bunts for 45 minutes, sometimes pausing for instruction from coaches. Then lengthy earlier than the sport Wednesday got here extra emphasis on fundamentals, with the Angels pitching employees practising pickoff strikes and fielding comebackers like they’d on a Tempe, Ariz., backfield in March.

Spring coaching was abbreviated due to the lockout, lowering time spent on nice factors corresponding to bunt-ing and pickoff performs.

Maddon isn’t one to shrug and merely get on with the season, even when his lineup seems to have as a lot energy as any in baseball.

To his gamers’ credit score, they’re placing within the further work.

Then there’s Ohtani, for whom further work is a given. The 2-way phenom has slumped on the plate, his batting common dipping precariously near .200, and Maddon is requested every day by reporters when Ohtani will take a break day. Maddon smiles and repeats with the utmost confidence, “He’s within the lineup. He feels good. He’s going to hit.”

Ohtani responded with a double and two singles. And each sixth sport, he pitches. Jose Ramirez — the Guardians’ greatest hitter — blasted a two-run house run within the first inning and Ohtani pitched round two singles within the second and a double within the third.

He cruised thereafter, retiring the final eight hitters he confronted earlier than departing after 5 innings, having thrown 86 pitches, 59 for strikes.

Ohtani (2-2) struck out 4 and walked one, giving him 30 strikeouts in opposition to solely 5 walks in 191/3 innings this season. The win moved the Angels into first place within the AL West, a half-game forward of the Seattle Mariners.

Thrice six equals first rate begin

Patrick Sandoval’s seven scoreless innings Tuesday within the Angels’ 4-1 win over the Guardians marked the third begin for every of the six members of the rotation. 4 of the six — Ohtani, Sandoval, Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen — have pitched properly. Left-handers Reid Detmers (6.57 ERA) and Jose Suarez (5.54) haven’t.

“The lefties maintain the important thing to us,” Maddon mentioned. “And simply to get them to a strong 5, five-plus [innings] by higher strike-throwing with their fastballs. I just like the six-man rotation, I believe that’s right here to remain. Particularly with Shohei. The righties have carried out fairly properly up to now, we’ve received to get the lefties going.”

Brief hops

Second baseman David Fletcher returned from his rehab project at triple-A Salt Lake to be evaluated by the medical employees. Fletcher, who has been out with a left hip pressure for greater than two weeks, was three for 17 in 4 rehab video games. … Third base coach Phil Nevin is unwell, prompting the employees and a few gamers to don masks within the clubhouse. Maddon mentioned there is no such thing as a indication that Nevin has contracted COVID. … Wade visited the Bryant Arts Academy in Backyard Grove and Griffin Canning visited La Veta Elementary College as a part of the Angels’ Undertake-A-College program and the college obtained a donation from the Angels Baseball Basis.