Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani pitches into 5th in return to Angels mound - ESPN

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Shohei Ohtani returned to the Angel Stadium mound with 4⅓ innings of five-hit, four-run ball for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night in his first pitching appearance in Anaheim since he left the Los Angeles Angels nearly two years ago.

Ohtani put on a two-way show for his old home crowd with seven strikeouts. He fanned Mike Trout twice, getting his friend and fellow MVP the second time with his fastest pitch of the night — a 101 mph fastball in the fourth inning.

Ohtani also staked himself to an early lead by tripling and scoring as the Dodgers' leadoff hitter before he even took the mound, entertaining Angels fans with the same inimitable feats he accomplished regularly during his first six major league seasons with their club.

Ohtani's mound start was his longest since he returned to pitching two months ago, but he didn't finish strong.

He gave up three consecutive one-out hits in the fifth and left after Zach Neto's two-run double trimmed the Dodgers' lead to 5-4. Anthony Banda still escaped the jam, but only after the Angels loaded the bases.

Ohtani also gave up a homer to Taylor Ward during the Angels' two-run second inning. He looked sharp in the next two innings before getting chased by two singles and Neto's drive.

Ohtani is still beloved in Anaheim by fans who mostly couldn't blame him for leaving a team that could never assemble a winning lineup around him and Trout during six consecutive losing seasons.

The three-time MVP — two of those trophies claimed with the Angels — has received cheers whenever he returns to the Big A, although that's also because much of the crowd wears Dodger Blue for these Freeway Series rivalry games.

The fans were locked in on the main event in this showdown: