By David A. Avila

Published May 23, 2021

Two more no-hitters were tossed both in the American League and old veteran Albert Pujols found a home, but quick, in sprawling Los Angeles.

New York Yankee pitcher Cory Kluber blitzed through the Texas Rangers team for a 2-0 victory on Wednesday night. Less than 24 hours earlier Detroit Tiger pitcher Spencer Turnbull zapped the Seattle Mariners with his no-hitter to win 5-0. It’s only the second month of the 2021 season and already six no-hitters have been established.

Some experts point to poorer hitting overall in Major League Baseball and even more suggest pitchers have become unhittable. A few suggest it’s the almighty launch angle that is to blame. For those not familiar with the term launch angle, that simply means batters are uppercutting more than ever.

Launch angles have resulted in a boom in home runs in both NL and AL teams. It’s also led to defensive alignments where teams stack infields to one side or the other while leaving gaps. Today’s players are not familiar with Wee Willlie Keeler’s “hitting it where they ain’t” philosophy developed in the late 1890s of slapping hits into the open areas. 21^st century hitters think it means barreling the ball over the fence. Pitchers have made the adjustments by attacking the upper part of the strike zone with rising fastballs via the four-seamer.

Return of “La Maquina” the Machine

Albert Pujols was not out of baseball long and soon was signed by the crosstown Los Angeles Dodgers.

Though the Los Angeles Angels could not find a spot on their roster for the future Hall of Famer the team in the next county sure could. A strong right-handed hitter who plays first base was exactly what the 2020 World Series Champions needed. They signed him right in the nick of time.

Pujols and his old way of hitting to all fields with his rather flat swing immediately helped the Dodgers end a horrific losing skid. Since Pujols arrival the Dodgers are back to their winning ways and the Dominican slugger could not be happier.

He fits in like a first baseman’s glove.

Injuries to more than a dozen Dodgers had put the team in a tailspin with Cody Bellinger, Cory Seager and AJ Pollock among those unable to play. Picking up a veteran right-handed hitter was a necessity and especially someone who could backup Max Muncie at first base.

Since Pujols joined the Dodgers he has been on base in every game he’s played and recently drove in a run against the rival San Francisco Giants. He’s batting .267 for the Dodgers were several RBIs and a homer. The Dodgers couldn’t be happier and neither could Pujols who fits right in.

He may not be the same player he was 20 years ago, but that same experience has been a boost to the Dodgers when they needed it. His .298 career batting average, 668 homers and 2117 runs batted in cannot be ignored when he gives advice. The Dodgers are eagerly listening to every word he utters in the dugout. They don’t call him “la maquina” for nothing.

Shohei

No other player has singularly dominated the baseball conversation than Shohei Ohtani the pitcher and slugger for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. His abilities are ridiculous.

A recent story by Los Angeles Times writer Dylan Hernandez spoke about Ohtani being a favorite of a Japanese comic hero named Goro Shigeno in a weekly series called “Major.” It’s a wonderful read and mentions how in many ways Ohtani mimics and surpasses some of the exploits of the comic hero.

Who would have thought Ohtani was capable of leading the MLB in homers with 14 and becoming the ace of the Angels pitching staff. Though the Angels are in last place in the AL West, just imagine where the tam would be without Ohtani.

Super star Mike Trout was lost last week due to a muscle strain to his calf and will be out for two months. Ohtani becomes the leader of the struggling Angels by default, but what a leader to have.