MINNEAPOLIS -- After starting off the second half of the season in a slump by his standards, two-way sensation
“He just always responds,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “He likes the spotlight, he likes the big moment and I'm looking forward to many more of those.\"\n\nOhtani's resurgence has come after he was held out of the lineup on Friday with lefty J.A. Happ on the mound for Minnesota. He was mired in a bit of a funk, hitting .167 (4-for-24) with a homer, a double and 14 strikeouts over his last six games.
\n\nBut he bounced back with his two doubles in Saturday's 2-1 win and went 2-for-3 with the homer and an intentional walk on Sunday. He’s also scheduled to make his 15th start of the season on Monday against the Rockies at Angel Stadium and is expected to be in the lineup as well. Ohtani is 4-1 with a 3.21 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 73 innings this season, including a 1.87 ERA in eight home starts.\n\n\"He's so engaged right now,\" Maddon said. \"I can't just beat him into the ground. He's pitching tomorrow, he's played all weekend and it's been hot. But I would believe that after we gave him the day off he'd be ready to roll and do both tomorrow. But I'll check with him.\"\n\nHis homer was absolutely crushed onto Target Plaza beyond the right-field seats and came on a 1-0 slider over the heart of the plate. It had an exit velocity of 112.6 mph and went a projected 414 feet, per Statcast.\n\nIt was Ohtani's 12th homer this season against a lefty, and he now incredibly has a higher slugging percentage against southpaws than right-handers. His 12 homers against lefties ranks second in the Majors among left-handed hitters, trailing only Matt Olson's 15.\n\n\"He told me the other day, 'I'm seeing lefties really good right now,'\" Maddon said. \"It was the day I gave him off.\"\n\nHe also singled in the first against right-hander Bailey Ober and was caught stealing second to end the inning. In the eighth, he came to the plate with two outs and a runner at third and was intentionally walked. Even Twins fans booed the move by manager Rocco Baldelli, as they wanted to see the two-way star hit.
\"I was booing, too,\" Maddon said with a smile. \"But it was the right move by Rocco.\"\n\nHe promptly stole second base without a throw for his 13th swipe of the year but was stranded with Justin Upton grounding out. It was Ohtani’s 10th career game with a homer and a stolen base.\n\nHe joins Mike Trout (34 times), Darin Erstad (14), Don Baylor (11), Vladimir Guerrero (10) as the Angels players to accomplish the feat 10 times.\n\n\"He's looking pretty frisky,” Maddon said. “It's good to see him running really well.”\n\nOhtani’s big day was backed by a strong showing from right-hander
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