Ohtani, first player of Japanese origin to play for the cycle

The Los Angeles Angels named hitter Shohei Ohtani for the round on Thursday night in a 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Ohtani became the first Japanese player to hit the MLB round. He did it with a single in the seventh inning off Hunter Wood's Tampa Bay reliever. This followed a three-point circuit in the first, a double in the third and a triple in the fifth.

"I did not necessarily try to hit one," he said through the intermediary of a translator. I was just trying to get on a base, whether on balls or in any other way because it was a close match. "& # 39;

After the triple of his third match, the quest for the Ohtani cycle has become the center of the game.

"People were talking about it, it's not a non-hitter when nobody mentions it," said Brad Ausmus, Angels manager, very impressed by the fact that the left-handed Ohtani got his first three shots on a southpaw. pitcher. "We forget how young he is, he's in a new country, his second year here, he's 24. He's carrying a lot on his shoulders, but he's still very tall."

Ohtani joins Jorge Polanco as the only players to have scored for the cycle this season. He is the seventh player of different angels to hit for the cycle and the first since Mike Trout in 2013.

Ohtani is only the sixth player in MLB history to play in the ring as DH and the first since Jeff DaVanon (also for the Angels) in 2004.

"It takes power to hit the finish line, speed to complete a triple," Ohtani said. "Being able to do this at the major league level will create a lot of confidence.The important thing now is to try to continue in the same direction tomorrow."

Ohtani said that being the first Japanese player to do it was very special.

"There have been so many other great Japanese players before me, being the first to do this makes me very happy," he said.

The information provided by The Associated Press has been used in this report.