MINNEAPOLIS — An announced total of 24,896 fans came to Target Field on a chilly and drizzly fall Friday evening, and probably a majority of those were not there to witness the Twins (73-78) potentially formally eliminate themselves from the American League Central race.
There were plenty clad in the Angels' red and white jerseys and hats, No. 17 stitched across several. This was (unofficially) Shohei Ohtani Day in Minnesota, after all.
The Japanese star has become Major League Baseball's biggest name, a rare talent who can hit, pitch and field, though the later is done sparingly. The planets aligned and the gods smiled down upon the Twin Cities, with Ohtani's schedule lining up to start against the Twins, giving the crowd the coveted chance to see the phenom eclipse 200 strikeouts in a season for the first time while also hitting an RBI single in the seventh inning as the designated hitter.
