Shohei Ohtani sets career-high in strikeouts; dazzles in victory over the Royals

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Shohei Ohtani adheres to strict routine in nearly every aspect of his life. When his latest mound start was delayed 12 minutes by a pregame ceremony honoring the Angels' 2002 World Series champions, his meticulous preparation took a hit before he even threw a pitch.

A slightly bumpy beginning still led to a second straight incredible night for the two-way superstar.

Ohtani struck out a career-high 13 over eight dominant innings of two-hit ball, and the AL MVP also reached base three times in Los Angeles' 5-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

After giving up two singles to start that delayed first inning, Ohtani (6-4) retired 16 straight Royals and 23 of the final 24 batters he faced. While matching the longest start of his major league career, he allowed just one baserunner over his final seven innings — on a walk that was quickly erased by a double play.

"I think the biggest thing was putting up that zero in the first inning after giving up those first two hits," Ohtani said through his translator. "I was able to do that, and it set the tone for the game. I wanted to go as long as I could, but I wasn’t really thinking about the pitch count early in the game."

With the backdrop of a rare Southern California lightning storm illuminating the sky far beyond center field at the Big A, Ohtani also had a single and two walks at the plate in his latest electrifying two-way