Why Cincinnati Reds' David Bell committed to Elly De La Cruz vs. LHPs despite struggles

ANAHEIM — After Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani hooked a breaking pitch into the right-field corner for a double in the fifth inning of Wednesday's second game of a doubleheader, Cincinnati Reds rookie shortstop Elly De La Cruz playfully poked Ohtani as if to say, “Are you real?”

To be sure, Ohtani was the headliner throughout a long day of baseball at Angel Stadium – from the anticipation of his first start in two weeks in the twinbill opener, to his MLB-leading 44th home run and early exit from the mound due to injury, to his return in Game 2 as the DH and a big hit in the Angels’ two-run fifth.

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