Japan's two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani made history Thursday as Major League Baseball's first player to throw both his team's first pitch and bat leadoff on Opening Day.
The Los Angeles Angels' reigning American League MVP, Ohtani (0-1), struck out nine while allowing a run over 4-2/3 innings in a 3-1 defeat to the Houston Astros. He walked one and allowed four hits, while going 0-for-4 at the plate.
Ohtani said he had "no nerves" pitching on Opening Day for the first time in five seasons in the United States.
"On the mound it was like a continuation from last year," he said. "But there were moments where I was a little tight and that can't be helped."
Ohtani hit 99 miles (159.3 kilometers) per hour with his first pitch and worked around a hit and a walk in a scoreless first inning.
With two outs in the third after Ohtani notched his fourth straight strikeout, Michael Brantley drove a 2-1 fastball for a double and scored on an Alex Bregman single that was fielded poorly by left fielder Jo Adell.
Ohtani struck out the side in the fourth but allowed a fifth-inning leadoff double and left after getting the second out with his final strikeout.
Bregman and Yordan Alvarez hit back-to-back homers to open the Astros' eighth. David Fletcher's eighth-inning RBI triple accounted for the Angels' only run.
"If I got a hit when I should have at the end, the game would have gone differently," said Ohtani, who made the final out in the eighth with a runner on third.
"The runner was on third and (Mike) Trout was on deck. It turned out to be a long fly but I'd have preferred a single or double. I think the reason we kept failing to score was my not reaching base and create scoring chances."
This year, because he can carry on batting after pitching, Ohtani may need to delay the normal elbow and shoulder care routines pitchers go through after leaving the mound. But he is confident he can adjust.
"In terms of my body, I can definitely cope," he said. "I'll try to play in as many games as I can."
Angels manager Joe Maddon, meanwhile, praised Ohtani's knack for rising to the occasion.
"Shohei once again, nothing's too quick for him, nothing's too big for him," Maddon said. "I thought he looked really good. I had to get him out of there after 80 pitches. That was kind of our number limit, and he would have had to work very hard to get the next out."
Astros lefty Framber Valdez (1-0) allowed two hits and a walk over 6-2/3 innings to earn the win.
"In my mind's eye, we have not done well in this division because we have not hit well in this division," Maddon said. "This may be the best division...when it comes to pitching. We've got to do better."
Ohtani went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts as a pitcher last year. At the plate, the 27-year-old had 46 home runs, 26 stolen bases and 100 RBIs.
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