Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani draws a base on balls after pinch hitting in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chase Utley beats the throw to Los Angeles Angels catcher Martin Maldonado and scores from first base on a double by Yasmani Grandal in the ninth inning to tie the game, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Angels’ Andrelton Simmons scores past Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes on a single by Justin Upton in the first inning, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Jose Alvarez reacts after striking out Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yasmani Grandal in the tenth inning to secure their 5-4 win, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt talks with pitcher Alex Wood, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Angels left fielder Justin Upton can’t catch a double by Los Angeles Dodgers Andrew Toles in the tenth inning, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Blake Parker, right, looks down after giving a run by Los Angeles Dodgers Chase Utley, left, in the ninth inning to tie the game, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun makes a leaping catch on a flyball at the outfield wall by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chris Taylor in the first inning, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Angels’ Kole Calhoun, left, celebrates with Mike Trout after hitting a home run in tenth-inning to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Angels’ Kole Calhoun watches his tenth-inning home run as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher catcher Yasmani Grandal looks on, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood after striking out two Angels batters in the sixth inning, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood throws to home plate against the Los Angeles Angels, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Angels’ Kole Calhoun, right, is greeted by Mike Trout after hitting a home run in tenth-inning to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Andrew Heaney throws to home plate against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood throws to home plate against the Los Angeles Angels, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy (13) is greeted by manager Dave Roberts after scoring from third on a single by Cody Bellinger in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Angels’ shortstop Andrelton Simmons can’t field a single by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Logan Forsythe in the second inning, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood, center, confers with shortstop Chris Taylor, left, and catcher Austin Barnes after loading the bases in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Angels’ outfielder Kole Calhoun slides into second base after hitting a double in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chase Utley passes third base coach Chris Woodward and scores from first base on a double by Yasmani Grandal in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher pitcher Blake Parker follows through against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andrew Toles, right, makes a catch in front of left fielder Enrique Hernandez on a flyball by Los Angeles Angels’ David Fletcher in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Andrew Heaney (28) smiles after his day is done as manager Mike Scioscia, left, makes a pitching change in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Dylan Floro waits for the ball after giving up a solo home run to Los Angeles Angels’ Justin Upton in the seventh inning, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts applauds a running catch by left fielder Enrique Hernandez on a line drive by the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout in the seventh inning, Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani’s appearance as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of the Angels’ 3-2 loss to the Dodgers on Friday night was his first against a left-handed pitcher.
In the previous seven situations, the Angels had only inserted the rookie when he was able to face a right-hander.
Ohtani, who bats left, managed well. Faced with a 2-2 count on the sixth pitch of the at-bat, he knocked a sinker thrown by Scott Alexander toward left-center field, ending up with a double and putting himself as the tying runner in scoring position.
“He got a pitch to hit, he didn’t miss it,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia recounted a day later. “At the time it was big, so it’s definitely encouraging.”
The inning, along with the Angels’ hopes of completing a rally, ended two at-bats later when David Fletcher grounded into a double play.
Ohtani’s double, though, was a sign the club had grown more comfortable with him as a pinch hitter. A week earlier, Alexander struck out Ohtani in Anaheim.
“He’s definitely getting more acclimated,” Scioscia said. “I think he’s feeling more comfortable with it. It’s not easy, but it seems like he doesn’t come out of his game when he’s pinch-hitting. He can definitely help us in that role this weekend, but we look forward to him swinging the bat more as we get into the second half.”
Ohtani was used as a pinch hitter on Saturday against the Dodgers — also against a left-hander, Rich Hill — in the eighth inning. He was walked.
The current role for Ohtani in the final series before the All-Star break was limited to pinch hitting. He has only been in the lineup as a designated hitter this season, no longer a possibility with the Angels in a National League ballpark for the weekend. An elbow injury has also sidelined the two-way star as a pitcher, likely for the remainder of the season.
Last month, Ohtani received a platelet-rich plasma injection and underwent stem-cell therapy to help heal his damaged ulnar collateral ligament. He is scheduled to be reevaluated Thursday.
In eight at-bats as a pinch hitter, he has four hits, including a home run last Sunday in a 4-3 win over the Dodgers.
EXTENDING STARTS
Since joining the Angels’ rotation last month, Felix Peña has not thrown more than 83 pitches in any his five starts and was kept to 74 pitches Friday night against the Dodgers.
His workload isn’t likely to expand in the near future.
“It’s going to be a process,” Scioscia said. “It’s tough to get a guy that hasn’t started to the 100, 110-pitch mark.”
Peña was a reliever when he was acquired from the Chicago Cubs last October, then converted into a starter amid a rash of injuries to the Angels’ rotation.
With Garrett Richards headed for Tommy John surgery, Peña figures to remain a starter.
He is 1-0 with a 2.66 ERA as a starter, with 30 strikeouts to nine walks, in his five starts.
ALSO
Deck McGuire will start Sunday in the series finale against the Dodgers, opposite Clayton Kershaw. McGuire, primarily a reliever, made two previous starts this month due to injuries in the rotation, but threw only 64 and 61 pitches, respectively, in the games. … Nick Tropeano (shoulder) threw 71 pitches in a rehab start for Class-A Inland Empire on Friday night and allowed two earned runs and seven hits, with five strikeouts and one walk. Scioscia said he had not heard what would be the next step in Tropeano’s rehab process. … Angels outfield prospect Jo Adell was promoted to No. 3 on Baseball Prospectus’ list of the top prospects.
