ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani hit his second homer in two games at Angel Stadium in the fifth inning, and Zack Cozart had a walk-off homer in the 13th inning of the Los Angeles Angels’ 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.
One day after Ohtani hit an electrifying three-run homer in his first home plate appearance, the Japanese two-way rookie connected for a tying two-run homer off AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber in his second game at the Big A.
Neither team scored again after Ohtani’s blast until Cozart, the Angels’ new infielder, connected for his first career walk-off homer against Zach McAllister (0-1).
Ohtani also singled leading off the 10th to go 2 for 5, giving him six hits this season and five in his only two home games. The Angels’ rookie sensation will make his first home pitching start Sunday against Oakland, one week after beating the Athletics on the road in his big-league pitching debut.
The Angels hadn’t had a walkoff homer in extra innings since Aug. 9, 2014, when Albert Pujols did it.
Noe Ramirez (1-1), the Angels’ eighth reliever, came on with two outs in the 13th and struck out Erik Gonzalez with two Indians on base.
On Tuesday night, Ohtani capped a six-run first inning by lifting a ball out to center on a 2-2 pitch from Josh Tomlin. He got the silent treatment from teammates when he returned to the dugout, but not from the crowd. After players broke character and jumped around Ohtani to celebrate, Mike Trout instructed Ohtani to take a curtain call.
It was a tradition Ohtani wasn’t familiar with. The postgame dousing, however, Ohtani had seen on television.
Kole Calhoun sneaked up behind Ohtani after the game as he was about to give a television interview and dumped ice water all over the 23-year-old.
‘‘It obviously felt really, really good,’’ Ohtani said through an interpreter, drying himself as he spoke to the crowd.
Ohtani is the first player to win as a starting pitcher, then start and homer as a non-pitcher in his next game in the same season since Babe Ruth in 1921, according to STATS LLC.
He is also the first player with four hits, a home run and a win in his first six games since Boston’s Wes Ferrell in 1937, and the first rookie with at least three hits and a win in his first six games since Dutch Stryker of the1924 Boston Braves.
