Never mind the two-run home run by George Springer. This start was never about the results. More disconcerting was the abrupt and extraordinary drop in velocity.
Almost three months removed from his most recent start, Shohei Ohtani returned to the mound Sunday night and threw a fastball in the first inning that registered 99 mph on Minute Maid Park’s radar gun. Two innings later, as he approached his pitch-count limit, Ohtani delivered fastballs resembling the variety thrown by Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill, including one that clocked a pedestrian 88 mph.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia offered a couple of explanations.