Guardians Pitchers Shut Down Two Of The Best Hitters In The World

The Cleveland Guardians pitchers limited Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani to three combined hits in their series win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Tommy Wild | May 15, 2023

Guardians Pitchers Shut Down Two Of The Best Hitters In The World /

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The Los Angeles Angels had a record of 20-18 when they began their series with the Cleveland Guardians last Friday night. But a team's record doesn't always tell the full story.

The Angels have two of the best, if not the best, baseball players in the world at the moment. Mike Trout has had the reputation as the game's best hitter for some time now and Shohei Ohtani has recently given Trout a run for his money for that title.

But in the midst of an intense series battle between Cleveland and L.A., the Guardians starting pitchers shut down two of the best hitters in the world.

Mike Trout

Mike Trout has a season OPS of .872 and has already racked up 41 hits through the first quarter of the season. However, Cleveland found a way to make him a nonfactor for the most part of this series.

He faced Friday night's starter Logan Allen three times and went hitless in all three plate appearances. The rookie right-hander even recorded a strikeout against the future Hall of Famer. Cal Quantrill saw Trout twice in game two and Trout wasn't able to record a hit off of him either.

The Angels' outfielder didn't start in the series finale on Sunday but eventually subbed in as a pinch hitter.

Trout's only hit of the series was a double in the opener which came off of Emmanuel Clase in the ninth inning. This RBI double came at the right time and essentially won the Angels the game.

Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani didn't fair much better against Cleveland pitching. L.A.'s designated hitter had 10 at-bats over the weekend. He recorded two hits, one being a double, and walked three times. Ohtani did however strike out a total of six times during the three-game series.

He especially struggled against Logan Allen and Sunday's starter Tanner Bibee.

Logan Allen, Wipeout 81mph Sweeper. 🌊 pic.twitter.com/FgSvBpz08P
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 12, 2023

Cleveland has had a carousel of starting pitchers since the beginning of the season due to the number of injuries the rotation has suffered. Seeing young guys like Allen and Bibee find success against two players that will be in Cooperstown is such an encouraging sign for the future.

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Published May 15, 2023