SF Giants-Angels matchup between Ohtani, Gausman features a first in MLB history

ANAHEIM — When Gabe Kapler and Joe Maddon turned in their respective lineups for Wednesday’s matchup between the Giants and Angels, the two managers guaranteed the game would feature a first-of-its-kind occurrence.

It’s been 48 years since the American League implemented the designated hitter and 24 years since the Giants participated in MLB’s first-ever interleague game, but for the first time on Wednesday, a National League club will use a designated hitter in a game in which an American League team won’t.

With two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani scheduled to start for the Angels, Maddon elected to give up the DH and have Ohtani, who has hit 23 home runs this season, bat for himself in the No. 2 spot in his lineup.

Ohtani is tied with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the major league lead in home runs and entered the series with an OPS above 1.000 before going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk on Tuesday against the Giants.

Giants starter Kevin Gausman has turned himself into a respectable hitter for a pitcher as he’s 5-for-26 with four sacrifices this season, but the thought of having Gausman hit for himself likely never even crossed Kapler’s mind. The Giants will also have their DH bat in the second spot in their order as Alex Dickerson, who was reinstated from the injured list Monday, will fill that role.

The Giants were the last National League team to intentionally give up the DH as Madison Bumgarner batted for himself on June 30, 2016 in a 12-6 win over the Oakland A’s. Bumgarner went 1-for-4 with a double in the game, but was hitting just .175 when former Giants manager Bruce Bochy made the decision to have his ace hit for himself.

Prior to that game, the last club to have a pitcher hit for himself instead of using a designated hitter was in 1976 when the Chicago White Sox let starter Ken Brett, the brother of Royals Hall of Famer George Brett, swing the bat.

Ohtani has pitched and batted second seven times this season, but six of those games have come against American League clubs who used a traditional DH. The only game in which Ohtani started against a National League team and found himself in the lineup came on June 11 when he faced the Diamondbacks, but because that game took place at Chase Field, the designated hitter was not in use.