Shohei Ohtani dazzles, dominates Tigers with complete-game shutout

Detroit — Unfortunately for the Tigers and their fans on a beautiful Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park, Shohei Ohtani didn't disappoint.

The Angels megastar put on a dominant pitching performance in the opener of a doubleheader, leading Los Angeles to a 6-0 victory.

It was a memorable day for Ohtani, who had never before pitched a complete game or a shutout in 82 previous pitching appearances.

Ohtani (9-5) was dazzling, only allowing one hit while striking out eight hitters. The Tigers had one runner get as far as second base all afternoon, when Matt Vierling walked to begin the eighth inning and moved to second on a Javier Báez groundout.

Kerry Carpenter singled to center opening the fifth inning, the first and only hit Ohtani would allow.

"He kind of just threw a lot of strikes with everything," said Carpenter of Ohtani's deep well of pitches. "He threw his heater at lefties real well, landed his breaking stuff. He just kind of had us off balance the whole time."

Zack Short walked in the sixth (quickly erased on a double play) and Spencer Torkelson walked with two outs in the seventh. But both were quickly erased.

"He was completely dominant," manager AJ Hinch said. "We really couldn't get anything started."

The Tigers contained Ohtani, leading the majors with 36 home runs, at the plate. He was hitless in five at-bats.

BOX SCORE: Angels 6, Tigers 0 (Game 1)

Michael Lorenzen, in what may have been his final game with the Tigers, wasn't able to keep pace with Ohtani.

With the trade deadline Tuesday, Lorenzen has been one of the notable Tigers who could be on the move.

Lorenzen lasted five innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs, while walking one and striking out seven. Lorenzen threw 88 pitches, 57 for strikes, going deep into counts against an Angels team that has won eight of its last 10.

"It was real hot, tough to recover out there today," Lorenzen said. "It felt like every time I'd look up (at the pitch clock) it woud say eight seconds and I'm hurrying to get ready to throw the next pitch. I'm dripping sweat out there, it's hot. But my stuff felt good. I was just maybe trying to do too much with two strikes."

The same three batters — Mike Moustakas, Hunter Renfroe and Trey Cabbage — hurt Lorenzen (5-7) the most.

Moustakas opened the second inning with a single and moved to third on Renfroe's double. Cabbage drove home Moustakas with a sacrifice fly to left field, ending Lorenzen's scoreless inning streak at 22⅔ innings.

The identical trio sparked the Angels' offense again in the fourth inning. Moustakas singled with one out and moved to third on another Renfroe double. Both scored on Cabbage's single to right-center field.

"They did make him (Lorenzen) work, he threw a ton of pitches early and a ton of pitches late," Hinch said.

Los Angeles added two more runs in the sixth against relief pitcher Zach Logue, who had similar difficulties against Taylor Ward.

Mickey Moniak greeted Logue with a double, extending Moniak's hit streak to a career-high 16 games. Moniak promptly scored ahead of Ward, who blasted his 13th home run.

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Ward added his 14th home run to begin the eighth inning, giving the Angels a 6-0 lead.

Lorenzen doesn't know what the immediate future holds for him, but will stay prepared. The trade deadline wasn't on Lorenzen's mind Thursday as much as facing his former teammates, the Angels, from a year ago, and trying to win a baseball game.

"That was at the forefront of my mind, I want to beat them," Lorenzen said. "But I didn't do that so that's frustrating for me.

"I have no idea (of what's next). I did my shoulder program (after the start), spa day (Friday) and recovery stuff and making sure I'm just getting ready for my next start. That was my 18th start, so I have about 12 more left and that's kind of where my mind is at. Getting ready for the next one and making sure when they tell me I'm pitching again, I'm ready to go."

ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tkulfan