Shohei Ohtani Homers Again, Angels Beat White Sox 5-2
CHICAGO (AP) — Two-way star Shohei Ohtani homered for the third straight game after learning he will probably need Tommy John surgery, launching a three-run shot to cap the Los Angeles Angels' four-run third inning in a 5-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Shut down as a pitcher because of the right elbow problem, Ohtani hit his 19th homer of the season to break a tie with Kenji Johjima for the most by a Japanese rookie in the majors.
Ohtani, in the lineup as the designated hitter, has four homers in his last three games. Before the game against the White Sox, Ohtani said he plans to finish the season as the DH and hasn't decided yet if he'll have Tommy John surgery.
Andrelton Simmons added a solo shot in the seventh, and Felix Pena pitched seven strong innings to help the Angels win for the third time in their last four. Pena (2-4) allowed two runs while scattering seven hits and walking none. The righty fanned six.
Avisail Garcia hit a solo shot as Chicago's DH after missing four games with a sore right knee. Omar Narvaez drove in a run with a single.
Chicago's Carlos Rodon (6-5) lasted just 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and five walks. It was the left-hander's second straight rocky outing following a run of nine straight quality starts when he was 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA.
Ohtani's homer off Rondon was his second against a left-hander.
Garcia homered to center to lead off the second and give Chicago a 1-0 lead.
The Angels capitalized on Rodon's wildness in the third. Rodon walked Kole Calhoun and David Fletcher, and then hit Mike Trout with a pitch to load the bases.
Justin Upton hit a sac fly to center to plate the Angels first run, then Ohtani drove Rodon's 2-0 pitch just over the center field fence as Adam Engel jumped high and narrowly missed catching it.
The White Sox cut it to 4-2 in the fourth when Narvaez single in a run. Simmons homered to left-center off Aaron Bummer in the seventh.
Jose Alvarez pitched a scoreless eight and Ty Buttrey tossed a perfect ninth for his first career save.
DIMMED PROSPECT
The White Sox learned Friday that top pitching prospect Michael Kopech has an injured right elbow and probably will need Tommy John surgery that will cause him to be sidelined through the 2019 season.
GM Rick Hahn expects the 22-year-old right-hander to be ready for spring training in 2020.
Kopech was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte on Aug. 21 and made four starts with the White Sox, going 1-1 with a 5.02 ERA. Two of the right-hander's first three starts were shortened by rain, but the 6-foot-3 Kopech was impressive in all three, allowing just one run in 11 innings.
Before his last start, Wednesday against Detroit, Kopech had trouble getting loose during his warmups. He allowed seven runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings in in the loss, then reported discomfort in his arm to the team Thursday.
TRAINER'S ROOM:
Angels: CF Trout was back in the lineup after missing Wednesday's game at Texas to rest his right leg. Trout was hit by a pitch in the calf on Tuesday. He was hit again (on the arm) on Friday and was walked twice intentionally. ... Upton (concussion) also returned Friday. He'd been out since Sept. 1 after colliding with Simmons in the field.
White Sox: Kopech was surprised to learn that he had a significant tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, leading to the Tommy John surgery recommendation. ... Garcia is usually the White Sox right fielder. He's expected to have knee surgery after the season
UP NEXT:
Angels: RHP Matt Shoemaker (1-0, 2.53) faces White Sox RHP James Shields (6-15, 4.39) on Saturday.
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