Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani not in lineup for series opener vs. Tampa Bay Rays

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Monday, August 22, 2022

Los Angeles Angels right-hander Shohei Ohtani, who was removed from Sunday's 4-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers because of a stomach virus, was not in the lineup for Monday night's game at the Tampa Bay Rays.

Ohtani pitched four innings, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks, and went 0-for-1 with a walk Sunday. Kurt Suzuki pinch hit for him in the fifth inning, and Jimmy Herget replaced him on the mound in the bottom of the inning.

"I didn't feel well all day, but I wasn't going to miss a game because I didn't feel well,'' Ohtani said through an interpreter. "My results weren't good, but I think I just didn't make the right pitches.''

Leadoff hitterRiley Greene had a 448-foot homer on the first pitch he saw from Ohtani -- the longest home run Ohtani has allowed in the majors, one that went over the out-of-town scoreboard in right-center field.

Ohtani retired the first two batters in the fourth, but he walked Akil Baddoo and Greene before Victor Reyes made it 3-0 with a triple.

"That was my biggest mistake,'' Ohtani said. "If I make one more pitch, I can finish with only one run allowed.''

Ohtani, the 2021 American League MVP, is 10-8 with a 2.83 ERA this season.

The four-inning outing marked Ohtani's shortest start since April 14, when he pitched 3 innings and allowed six hits and six runs in a 10-5 loss at Texas.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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