Ohtani hits first HR of season in Angels’ win

One week into Shohei Ohtani’s return to the Los Angeles Angels, the lineup is looking sharp.

Minnesota ace Jose Berrios bore the brunt of their batting success on Monday night.

Ohtani hit his first home run of the season, a towering two-run shot in the third inning against Berrios, and Tommy La Stella hit the go-ahead homer in the sixth to give the Angels a 5-4 victory over the Twins.

“I’ve been hitting the ball in the air recently,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “I think it showed today that I’m improving.”

The Angels are 5-2 on this nine-game trip that started with Ohtani’s 2019 debut following Tommy John elbow surgery that has shelved the two-way Japanese sensation’s pitching prowess for now. “We’ve been waiting to get him back. You see how different the lineup is when he’s in there, and hopefully he’s starting to get his timing,” La Stella said.

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Ohtani reached base on four of his five plate appearances. His 429-foot drive off the videoboard facade beneath the second deck in left-center field was the highlight of the three-run, five-hit third. The AL Rookie of the Year homered 22 times in 326 at-bats in 2018.

“We all know the power’s there, and that was a no-doubter to the opposite field,” Angels manager Brad Ausmus said. “You don’t see a lot of balls hit the other way from many people in this game that way.”

La Stella hit his team-leading 10th homer of the season, in 36 games, and went 3 for 5. The 30-year-old second baseman, who came to the Angels in a largely unnoticed trade with the Chicago Cubs, had 10 home runs in 396 major league games entering this season.

RHP Felix Pena (2-1, 3.21 ERA) will start on Tuesday night, after a one-inning opener was used in each of his last three appearances. Pena pitched seven shutout innings in his last turn, allowing only three hits and striking out seven without a walk in a win at Detroit.

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