Japanese baseball superstar Ohtani Shohei has kicked off his fifth season in the United States.
It was the first time in major league history a starting pitcher also led off an opening game at the plate.
Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels faced the Houston Astros, last year's American League champs.
Fans are hoping Ohtani will repeat his historic season last year. He started on the mound with a strikeout in a scoreless first inning.
And at the plate, he hit the first pitch, but grounded out.
Ohtani allowed one run in the third inning, but he struck out all three batters in the fourth.
He had a total of nine strikeouts before leaving the game as pitcher in the middle of the fifth inning.
In the eighth inning, Ohtani hit a towering fly ball, but his night ended without a hit.
The Astros beat the Angels 3-1, and Ohtani took his first loss of the year.
It was the first time in major league history a starting pitcher also led off an opening game at the plate.
Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels faced the Houston Astros, last year's American League champs.
Fans are hoping Ohtani will repeat his historic season last year. He started on the mound with a strikeout in a scoreless first inning.
And at the plate, he hit the first pitch, but grounded out.
Ohtani allowed one run in the third inning, but he struck out all three batters in the fourth.
He had a total of nine strikeouts before leaving the game as pitcher in the middle of the fifth inning.
In the eighth inning, Ohtani hit a towering fly ball, but his night ended without a hit.
The Astros beat the Angels 3-1, and Ohtani took his first loss of the year.
◆ lead off （何かを先頭に立って）始める、開始する ,先頭打者
◆ ground out ゴロアウト
◆ run 得点