April 20 was a day with the highest of highs for some teams in the MLB and some electric performances across the league. We are now in the full swing of the regular season and action abounds across the nation.
Luis Severino started the game on the mound for the New York Yankees and pitched five innings against the Detroit Tigers, en route to a 5-3 victory. The New York Yankees need every win they can get to keep pace in the American League East.
The Texas Rangers pulled off the rare triple play against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning, but could not shut down their opponents all game and fell to the Seattle Mariners 4-2.
MLB News Roundup: April 21
Arizona Diamondbacks blow out the Washington Nationals
The Arizona Diamondbacks put on a show in the nation's capital, scoring 11 runs in the first five innings of the game. While the scoring mercifully stopped, the nine-run margin of victory is certainly a confidence boost and an example of stellar team play.
This game could help turn around the struggling Diamondbacks.
Shohei Ohtani goes perfect through five innings
I don't even want to think about how heavily the MLB would have marketed Shohei Ohtani's perfect game had it made it all the way through the ninth inning. After five perfect innings, Shohei Ohtani gave up a hit in the sixth inning and was pulled, but the LA Angels would defeat the Houston Astros 6-0, shutting out one of the best teams in the MLB.
Ben Verlander contextualized just how good Shohei Ohtani was on the mound via a tweet.
"One of the most dominant outings I have ever seen. Absolutely incredible stuff tonight!! Shohei Ohtani was ELECTRIC!!" - @ Ben Verlander
The LA Angels know they have something special in Shohei Ohtani.
Oakland Athletics break their own low attendance record
This is a case of deja vu, and the Oakland Athletics are the culprit. After drawing only 3,748 fans to the ball park on April 19, the least popular team in the MLB outdid themselves on April 20, playing in front of a crowd of 2,703 against the Baltimore Orioles. The home team would go on to lose the game 1-0.
Bob Nightengale reported the record low attendance via a tweet.
"The Oakland A’s attendance today: 2,703. Lowest since 1980." - @ Bob Nightengale
Things are not looking good for the continued success of the Athletics in Oakland.
Miguel Cabrera is one hit away from history
In MLB history, only 32 players have reached the 3,000 hit mark. Miguel Cabrera is one hit away from joining the illustrious group. While the hit to bring him to 2,999 came in a losing effort, the achievement he is nearing is still impressive. Miguel Cabrera emphasized that this is a team game, and winning is what matters above all. Here are the highlights from the game, courtesy of the MLB on YouTube.
Baseball season is still only in its third week, and the action throughout the league is already at a fever pitch. Keep coming back to Sportskeeda for all the MLB updates as they come in 2022.