After suffering a season-ending injury as a pitcher, Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) has soared to new heights, setting a franchise record for the first time in nine years.

Ohtani went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, an RBI, two runs scored, two walks and two stolen bases in two starts at designated hitter in the 2023 Major League Baseball World Series against the New York Mets at Citi Field in Flushing, N.Y., on Sunday.

Ohtani started the first game of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds on April 24, but lasted just 1⅓ innings before being pulled from the game due to unforeseen circumstances. Normally, Ohtani doesn’t take himself out of the game when something goes wrong, so it was a bit unusual for him to be removed from a two-hitter, and there was a good reason for it.

Ohtani was examined immediately after leaving the mound, and it was determined that he had a torn right elbow ligament (UCL). A torn elbow ligament is a major injury that could lead to Tommy John surgery, which would keep him out for at least a year. While the decision to undergo surgery has yet to be made, Ohtani will no longer take the mound for the remainder of the season.

While Ohtani is out for the remainder of the season as a pitcher, it’s a different story as a hitter. Despite knowing he had a torn ACL, Ohtani batted in the second game of the doubleheader against New York, and the day before, he went 1-for-2 with a home run, a run scored, and three RBIs against the Mets. He was able to keep the momentum going.

Despite suffering a serious injury, Ohtani came up to bat and led his team to victory. It was a cartoonish performance. In his first at-bat with the bases loaded in the first inning, Ohtani battled Mets starter Carlos Carrasco to eight pitches before “powering” a high fastball for a one-out double to center field. He came home on a Brandon Drury single to give the Angels the lead.

It wasn’t a one-hitter. With two outs in the top of the second inning and a 3-0 lead, Ohtani pulled Carrasco’s slider hard and lined it into right field. It was enough for the first baseman to cross the plate, and Ohtani used his tremendous athleticism to reach third base. He then scored his second run of the game, this time on a single by Drury.

Even without the hit, Ohtani’s performance was threatening enough. In the top of the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and the score 5-0, Ohtani drew a walk to complete his “three-strikeout” game. He stole second base to complete his 18th stolen base of the season, and then stole third base on a wild pitch, putting him just one stolen base shy of joining the 40-homer, 20-stolen base club for the second time in his career.

And it led to one thing: a record. According to MLB.com’s Sarah Lance, Ohtani recorded a stolen base with a multi-hit game for the first time in his career, something that hadn’t happened to an Angels player since Howie Kendrick on May 12, 2014.

Ohtani singled to center field in his fourth at-bat of the seventh inning as a leadoff hitter and then drove in former Lotte Giants pitcher Brooks Railroad in the eighth inning on an automatic high fly ball to finish the day with a “4-for-4” performance.

There was one dizzying moment in the game. Here’s what happened. In the bottom of the fourth inning, with runners on first and second, Mets first baseman Jeff McNeil tried to steal second base, but Francisco Lindor didn’t move. Angels catcher Logan Ohafi threw the ball to first baseman Trey Cabrera to catch McNeil stealing second, in case Lindor was thrown out at second. But then Lindor raced toward third base.

Seeing this, Cavazza threw the ball at third base at breakneck speed, hitting pitcher Chase Cilses in the back of the head. Cavazza’s throw sent Silseth sprawling to the ground, unable to make any movements, creating a very concerning situation. Angels teammates and trainers rushed to his side to check on him, but for several minutes he was unable to get up.

Eventually, Angels and Mets players dropped to one knee and waited for him to improve. Eventually, after some time, Silses was able to pull himself up and was helped to the dugout by a trainer. The Citi Field crowd breathed a sigh of relief that he had avoided a major injury and sent him off with a rousing ovation.온라인바카

Then came the messy part. In the bottom of the eighth inning, an 86.2 mph (138.7 km/h) curveball from Angels pitcher Jose Soriano struck Pete Alonso in the shoulder. Alonso nearly took a hit to the head while dodging the ball, and an altercation with catcher Ohafi after he was hit by a pitch led to a brief bench-clearing as players from both sides spilled onto the field. However, the players returned to the dugout without further incident, and the game ended with a 5-3 Angels victory.