Shohei Ohtani provides epic bat flip to game-tying dwelling run in opposition to Yankees

The Yankees didn’t deliberately stroll Shohei Ohtani this time, and it backfired within the seventh inning.

Ohtani crushed his thirty fifth homer of the season over the left-center area fence to tie the sport, 3-3, in opposition to the Yankees and Michael King, and he added a bat flip — stretching his arm out and lengthening the bat earlier than tossing it — whereas beginning the jog across the bases.

It was Ohtani’s second homer in opposition to King in his profession, in keeping with the YES Community broadcast.

The reliever’s disastrous stretch continued when he loaded the bases with two outs following the Ohtani homer on two walks and a hit-by-pitch, and the Angels ultimately defeated the Yankees, 4-3, in extra innings.

However earlier within the recreation, when Ohtani strolled to the plate in one other essential state of affairs, the Yankees made certain he couldn’t drive in any runs.

The Angels had runners on first and third in opposition to Luis Severino within the fifth inning, with the sport nonetheless scoreless, and as an alternative of dealing with Ohtani, Aaron Boone deliberately walked him to load the bases and face Mickey Moniak.

Severino obtained forward 0-2, threw three consecutive balls and finally escaped the jam — and made the Yankees’ Ohtani choice repay — when Moniak lined out to Oswaldo Cabrera in proper.

However two innings later, even after pitching coach Matt Blake got here out for a mound go to, the Yankees opted to face Ohtani.

King began off the at-bat with a sinker that missed the strike zone, and Ohtani fouled the following pitch off.

Then, King blew a 96 mph fastball previous the Angels’ two-way star.

The subsequent pitch, one other 96 mph fastball and one other ball within the strike zone, traveled roughly 403 toes.

Ohtani additionally singled within the first inning and doubled within the fourth inning, so along with his fourth at-bat Monday evening, he entered needing a triple for the cycle, which he compiled in 2019 and practically did once more in April — whereas additionally beginning that recreation.

He struck out to start out the ninth, although.

The homer in opposition to the Yankees additionally continued Ohtani’s sturdy begin to the 2023 marketing campaign, and every homer, every sturdy begin, every productive at-bat solely will increase his worth because the commerce deadline nears, with the spiraling Angels probably in a spot the place they’ll be out of playoff competition.