By JOE TOTORAITIS
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a third-inning drive to center field, a no-doubt home run.
“I kept waiting for it to hit somewhere up on the scoreboard. Then I saw the metrics,” Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “I haven’t seen many like that. He’s special, and we see something new each day with him.”
Ohtani’s shot off Colin Rea reached 162 feet above the field, the highest since Statcast started tracking in 2015, and helped the Angels beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.
Ohtani hit his seventh home run of the season on an 85.9 mph cutter from Rea (0-2). The ball left the bat with 114.3 exit velocity and a launch angle of 39 degrees, and after a hang time of 6.98 seconds it landed 413 feet away in deep center.
“I watched it,” Rea said. “I knew it was gone.”
Milwaukee centerfielder Joey Wiemer and right fielder Brian Anderson could only look up and watch.
“He’s super aggressive,” Rea said. “Not the best pitch selection on my part. He did a good job of putting the barrel on it.”
Ohtani is batting .394 (13 for 33) in his last eight games with two doubles, one triple, three homers, seven RBIs and four stolen bases. He is hitting .294 with 18 RBIs this season, and the two-way star is 4-0 with a 1.85 ERA in the mound.
Ohtani also was picked off first base in the sixth and groundout in the eighth.
José Suarez (1-1) allowed two hits in five innings with a season-high six strikeouts and three walks, rebounding from an April 24 outing against Oakland in which he gave up five home runs before getting his seventh out.
“It’s hard to take your lumps like that for several starts,” Nevin said. “He made some adjustments with some things, but I’m just really proud of him.”
Chris Devenski, Chase Silseth, Matt Moore and Carlos Estévez completed a three-hitter for the Angels’ fourth shutout this season. Estévez pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save in as many chances.
“We didn’t get much going at all,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “A very quiet day offensively.”
Jake Lamb homered in the second inning, his first since last Aug, 27, and Luis Rengifo had an RBI single in the seventh against Hoby Milner.
Rea struck out a career-high nine in five innings, allowing three hits and a walk.
Milwaukee was blanked for the fourth time.
Mike Trout was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: SS Zach Neto went 0 for 3 with a strikeout and a walk, a day after taking a 95 mph sinker from Corbin Burnes in the right forearm.
Brewers: LF Christian Yelich got the day off. He hit .192 (5 for 26) with no home runs and four RBIs during the nine-game homestand.
SWAPS
Milwaukee acquired RHP Trevor Megill from Minnesota for cash and a player to be named.
UP NEXT
Angels: LHP Patrick Sandoval (2-1, 3.16 ERA) faces LHP Steven Matz (0-3, 6.23 ERA) on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series that completes a six-game trip.
Brewers: RHP Freddy Peralta (3-2, 3.77 ERA) starts at Colorado on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series. RHP Ryan Feltner (2-2. 4.88 ERA) starts for the Rockies.
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