Baseball’s two-way superstar is now going to be a two-time father, as Shohei Ohtani and his wife Mamiko are expecting their second child. Ohtani missed yesterday’s game (a 6-5 Dodgers win over the Orioles) due to the impending birth but won’t be placed on the paternity list, as manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani could be back in the lineup as early as today.
1. Schlittler shuts down Cincinnati
Cam Schlittler had another dominant outing on Friday, recording 13 strikeouts (and no walks) over six shutout innings in the Yankees’ 5-0 win over the Reds. With almost half the season in the books, Schlittler has to be considered the favorite for AL Cy Young Award honors, as the right-hander now has a 1.71 ERA, 29.5% strikeout rate, and 4.9% walk rate over 95 innings in his second big league season. With Schlittler leading the way, the Yankees’ excellent pitching has been one of the key reasons the team hasn’t missed a beat since losing Aaron Judge to the injured list. New York is now 10-5 since Judge’s last game on May 31.
2. Rally time in Sacramento
No lead is too big at Sutter Health Park, as the Athletics rebounded from a seven-run deficit on Friday to escape with a 12-11 win over the Angels in 10 innings. Trailing 11-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth, the A’s steadily chipped away at the Halos’ lead, and forced extras when pinch-hitter Jonah Heim hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. The unlikely victory brought the Athletics back to the .500 mark with an even 38-38 record, making the A’s one of just six American League teams with a non-losing record.
3. Southpaw showdown in Atlanta
The battle of division leaders continues with an intriguing pitching matchup, as the Brewers’ Kyle Harrison faces the Braves’ Chris Sale today. Harrison’s breakout campaign has seen the 24-year-old left-hander post a 2.47 ERA, 30% strikeout rate, and 6.7% walk rate over 65 2/3 innings and 13 starts. Now in his 16th MLB season, Sale has just kept on rolling with a 2.30 ERA, 28.8K%, and 6.3BB% in 13 starts and 78 1/3 frames. The Braves already topped the Brewers’ other ace in the series opener on Friday, emerging with a 3-2 win over Jacob Misiorowski.
