Angels News: Shohei Ohtani’s Latest Feat Hasn’t Been Done in Over 50 Years

The Halos two-way star was part of more history on Wednesday.

Nearly everything Shohei Ohtani has done on a baseball field has been historical.

Before the two-way sensation arrived to MLB from Japan in 2018, the league had never seen anything like him before.

And when he arrived, Ohtani quickly proved that he was well worth the hype -- perhaps even exceeding it along the way.

One AL Most Valuable Player Award and three All-Star Game selections later, and the guy who plays both ways is arguably one of the most talented baseball players to ever set foot on an MLB field.

Ohtani was part of more history on Wednesday.

Just not the kind you might expect.

Last night, Shohei Ohtani became the first American League pitcher to:

- strike out 12 batters
- reach base safely
- pick up the loss

since Mickey Lolich for the Tigers on July 31, 1971. pic.twitter.com/LhApJtzpmx

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 22, 2023

Ohtani was largely masterful against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, making quick work of a talented Dodger lineup on his way to a 12-strikeout performance, good for his second-most K's in an outing this season.

But a 4th inning solo home run he surrendered to first baseman Freddie Freeman made him a hard-luck loser in the second game of the Freeway Series, as the Angels were swept 2-0, and Ohtani became a part of history that he didn't want to be a part of.

Ohtani was frustrated after the loss, saying that both he and the rest of the Angels' heart of the lineup have to perform better if they hope to win games. At the plate, Ohtani was 0-for-7 over the two games.

The Halos will try to put this brief rough patch behind them as they get set to play three games in Denver against the Colorado Rockies this weekend.

After the abbreviated sweep, the Angels now trail the Houston Astros and New York Yankees by a half-game for the last Wild Card spots in the AL.

Concerning Houston, they're in Los Angeles to play three against the Dodgers starting Friday, and with the Angels playing three against the Rockies followed by four against the struggling Chicago White Sox, have a great opportunity to make up the ground they lost.