Los Angeles: This cross town “Freeway Series” is the first time since 1982 that six MVP winners were active in a Major League game (Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout). Prior to last night, the last time a game was played with six MVPs all active was Sept. 27, 1982 when the then California Angels beat the Kansas City Royals, 3-2. The six MVPs active that night: Vida Blue, George Brett, Don Baylor, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson and Fred Lynn.
Are there any possible names to this club of MVPs coming out of these two teams in the near future? Maybe one day Angels right fielder Taylor Ward could be one. But how about a few CY Young possibilities?
Dodger starter LHP Tyler Anderson carried a no hitter into the ninth inning where he had to face three time American League MVP Mike Trout leading off followed by 2021 American League MVP Shohei Ohtani. He struck out Trout looking on an 86 mph cutter on a 1-2 count that got the crowd of 50,812 the loudest I have heard in this ballpark this year. Ohtani came up next with just two outs needed for Anderson to make history. Ohtani wasted no time, swinging at the first pitch, another 86 mph cutter that went out like a missile into the right field corner. Mookie Betts dove for it but had no chance to save the night for Anderson. It then hit the outfield wall and allowed the speedy Ohtani to end up on third with a clean triple, breaking up the no-hitter.
So after a spectacular performance by Anderson, who had a line of 8.1 innings, 1 Hit, 1 run, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts and 1 hit batter. Where he threw 123 pitches 78 for strikes. He lost the no hit bid but walked away with his record intact. Matching his teammate Tony Gonsolin with identical 8-0 records. The hit came off of a former MVP who stopped possibly a future Cy Young award winner from attaining a rare feat. Maybe it was written that it had to be Ohtani to break up the no hit bid? After all it was Japanese Heritage night at Dodger Stadium tonight. Maybe the large crowd was made up of Japanese who were praying to Amaterasu, the highest deity in Japanese mythology, for Ohtani to be the one? Or maybe it was just a cutter that didn’t cut?
One thing to take away from this effort by Anderson is that Dodger Manager Dave Roberts let him go for it where in the past he has removed pitchers who were still putting up goose eggs deep in the game. Anderson’s 123 pitches were not going to hurt his arm. The only thing it hurt was his luck. When he got Trout looking to lead off the top of the ninth inning It looked like it was going to happen. But it didn’t.
It was the second night in a row that we saw what excitement these inner city rivalries can give us.
