Shohei Ohtani struck out nine in six innings of one-run ball in the Los Angeles Angels' 4-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.
The two-way star was removed from the mound with the game tied before Mickey Moniak hit a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh at Angel Stadium. At the plate, Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a single and an intentional walk.
The win gave the Angels their first series victory in the past five.
Ohtani allowed just two hits, including a third-inning RBI double by Carlos Correa, while walking three and hitting a batter in a 99-pitch outing.
"I just tried to make them feel uncomfortable and not allow them to take good swings," Ohtani said.
The right-hander retired the first two batters of the third inning but walked Joey Gallo before Correa's double to right-center.
"That one hit I allowed led to a run. There are things I didn't do well," Ohtani said.
Alex Kirilloff's solo home run pulled the Twins within a run in the top of the eighth, but Matt Thaiss had an RBI double to push the Angels' lead back to two in the bottom half.
In his 10th start of the season, Ohtani lowered his ERA to 3.05.
Among other Japanese players in the major leagues, Masataka Yoshida had a pair of singles in three at-bats in the Boston Red Sox's 7-0 loss to the San Diego Padres.
