According to the Tungsten Arm O'Doyle theory, when Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani team up for unprecedented feats, the Angels usually lose.
Today wasn't one of those days. Trout jumped Lance Lynn for a two-run cannon blast in the first inning, and Ohtani left the yard twice, including a two-run shot that rivaled Trout's in length. Throw in Jared Walsh two-run double, and the Angels made life miserable for Lynn, who gave up eight runs over four innings.
The White Sox offense didn't truly activate until they were trailing by 10 in the ninth inning, but Lynn's foundering would've rendered most other efforts moot.
Trout's homer was initially measured at 476 feet before a revised estimate put it at 461. Ohtani's second two-run shot came up two feet short, but Lynn had no interest in watching it just the same.
Trout
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) May 31, 2023
Ohtani
this is the first time the Angels have had multiple 450+ ft home runs in a game tracked by Statcast (2015)
OF COURSE THEY WERE HIT BY TROUT AND OHTANI https://t.co/BvIqBYDIGa
The White Sox were in the game for about two innings, as Gavin Sheets hit a sac fly with the bases loaded to make it a 2-1 game after two. But Ohtani's first homer and the Walsh double made it a 6-1 game after three, and the hill became that much steeper.
Jesse Scholtens gave up a two-run shot of his own to Taylor Ward in the seventh inning, but he could say he outpitched Lynn. That's all the damage he allowed over four innings, and he needed just 65 pitches to Lynn's 89. Thursday's off day allows the Sox to skip Scholtens' spot in the rotation for when Mike Clevinger comes back, so Pedro Grifol chose to spare the bullpen.
The only standard reliever who appeared was Garrett Crochet, who had position-player-pitching results by giving up three hits and two runs during the ninth inning, including a solo shot by Chad Wallach.
At ;least the White Sox were able to pad some stats themselves in the ninth. Jake Burger hit a solo shot off Tucker Davidson, and Luis Robert Jr.,. Eloy Jiménez and Hanser Alberto were able to string togehter three straight hits for two more runs, but Davidson endured to retire Andrew Vaughn for one of the more unusual save lines you'll see: 3 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.
Bullet points:
*Tim Anderson had a second extra-base hit before the month came to a close, doubling and coming around to score on Clint Frazier's single in the seventh.
*Romy González went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, so his hot streak was interrupted at the very least.
*Burger finished the game at second base, recording an assist on a routine chance.
*The White Sox finished May with a 15-14 record after dropping two of three to the Angels.
