ANAHEIM — With the Angels on the brink of losing a series to the Nationals and falling to second place in the American League West, two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani had other ideas.
Ohtani smacked a game-tying two-run double off Washington closer Tanner Rainey with two outs in the ninth to tie the game at 4-4. And Anthony Rendon followed with a walk-off RBI single to center to torment his former club and lead the Angels to an unlikely 5-4 win on Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium.
The Angels entered the inning down by two runs. Pinch-hitter Luis Rengifo drew a one-out walk and advanced on a single from Taylor Ward. Mike Trout struck out, leaving it all up to Ohtani, who has been working to hit the ball the other way in recent games after scuffling a bit at the plate.
Ohtani nearly hit it out, as he ripped an 0-1 slider off the base of the wall in center field to score Rengifo and Ward and tie the game. Rendon quickly ended it with a single to center field on a 1-0 fastball from Rainey, as Ohtani just barely beat the throw home from center fielder Victor Robles to give the Angels their second walk-off win of the year.