Between Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels have some of the best firepower in the MLB. Nobody can dispute that. What has been disputed this year is that these stars have not shown off their skills enough to get the Angels where they need to be.
The Los Angeles Angels suffered the worst losing streak in the MLB earlier this season. During that time, both Trout and Ohtani had very dry streaks. Things were different for the duo last night, however, against the Chicago White Sox.
Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani hit back-to-back home runs against the Chicago White Sox
During the losing streak, Mike Trout went 0-for-28. It was the worst streak of his career. The dry spell led many in the baseball world to question his value. They wondered if Mike Trout was worth the $341 million contract he's under for most of the next decade.
Shohei Ohtani had similar woes during the Angels' losing streak. Ohtani openly tested the waters regarding a possible move from the Angels. Since then, both have picked up their play.
"Andrew Velazquez, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani ALL go deep in the third inning!" - Talkin' Baseball
Last night, against two-time All-Star Johnny Cueto, the pair showed Angels fans firsthand why they are worth so much. In the third inning, following a solo jack by ninth hitter Andrew Velazquez, the pair got to work.
It was Trout who homered first off Cueto, knocking his shot 378 feet down the left line. A batter later, Shohei Ohtani crushed a 420-foot moonshot to straightaway center field. The game comes on the heels of their brawl with the Seattle Mariners this past weekend, which resulted in a slew of suspensions.
"BACK-TO-BACK. First, Mike Trout. Then, Shohei Ohtani." - The Athletic
Trout's home run was his 23rd of the season, and Ohtani's was his 17th. The Los Angeles Angels are desperate to get some wins back. They now find themselves 12 full games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West.
The Angels lost this game 11-4 despite having a big third inning. A five-run White Sox eighth inning closed the book on the Angels' hopes of victory, but not before two of the best players in the world did what they do best.