Angels: Ohtani’s start at Fenway Park cut short by rain

Shohei Ohtani – Shohei Ohtani (cropped 2) – CC BY-SA

Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani had his pitching start against the Boston Red Sox cut short due to a lengthy rain delay on Monday at Fenway Park. He pitched two innings before the delay and only gave up one run without allowing any hits.

In the first inning, Ohtani walked leadoff hitter Raimel Tapia and threw two wild pitches, which led to right fielder Rob Refsnyder scoring a run by hitting a groundout.

The Japanese superstar remained on the field throughout the delay and threw warm-up pitches in the pouring rain. At the same time, the grounds crew attempted to keep the pitching mound dry.

FOX Sports: MLB

2023-04-17 17:14

A liiiiiittle bit rainy in Boston today 🤏 https://t.co/E1MXIhKReX

1106 19

This season, Ohtani has only allowed two earned runs in 21 innings throughout his four starts. The 28-year-old also pitched well for two innings on Monday, striking out three batters and hitting singles in his first two at-bats.

When the one hour and 25 minutes rain delay ended, the Angels were leading 5-1 in the third inning. Ohtani was replaced by left-hander Tucker Davidson, who pitched for 3.1 innings. Davidson allowed only one run and helped Los Angeles secure the 5-4 victory.

Playing at Fenway Park

After the game, fans surrounded Ohtani outside the stadium. The 2021 American League MVP signed autographs for Red Sox fans. Some Boston supporters could be seen wearing his jersey.

Since he is set to become a free agent after this season, there’s been a lot of speculation about where Ohtani will play next. The Red Sox are among the teams rumored to sign him, but it’s uncertain whether they will pay the expected $600 million.

Following the game on Monday, Ohtani shared his thoughts on playing at Fenway Park. The designated hitter said that it was one of his favorite ballparks, and he looked forward to pitching there.

“The conditions didn’t allow me to have fun fully. Other than that I always look forward to pitching here,” he said.