A day after his historic doubleheader feat of a shutout and two home runs, Shohei Ohtani hit his MLB-leading 39th homer but could not prevent his Los Angeles Angels from falling 4-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.
Ohtani put the Angels in front at Rogers Centre with a first-inning home run, going deep in three consecutive plate appearances for the first time. He went 2-for-4 but was pulled for a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning. The Angels said his exit was due to cramps in both legs.
Lucas Giolito (6-7), who was acquired in a Thursday trade just hours after the team decided it would not trade Ohtani, allowed three runs in 5-1/3 innings in his Angels debut.
The loss snapped the Angels' four-game winning streak.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki in May became the first Japanese in MLB to homer in three consecutive plate appearances. On Friday, he went 1-for-4 as the Cubs won their seventh straight, 3-2 over the St. Louis Cardinals.
