ANAHEIM — Shohei Ohtani took another loss that he didn’t deserve on Thursday night, striking out 11 in six innings but being victimized by an Angels’ offense that didn’t score a single run.

After the Angels’ 2-0 loss to the Texas Rangers, Ohtani was asked flatly if he wants to remain with the team in the short and long term.

“Regardless of where I’m playing, I’m going to give it my all and try to win the ballgame that’s right in front of me,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “I’m with the Angels right now and I’m very thankful for what they’ve done. I really love my teammates. Right now I’m an Angel so that’s all I can focus on at this point.”

Although the MLB trade deadline is approaching next week and the Angels are out of the race for a playoff berth, there is still virtually no chance they would trade Ohtani. Even over the winter, it’s still likely the Angels would keep Ohtani and try to win in 2023 – reaping the financial benefits of having him on the roster – rather than trading him away and rebuilding.

Ohtani is set to be a free agent at the end of the 2023 season, and it remains to be seen whether the Angels will come up with enough money to pay him or convince him that they can win enough for him to want to stay.

In the meantime, it certainly doesn’t help when the Angels lose games like this one.

Ohtani was pitching for the second time in search of his 10th victory, which would have made him the first pitcher since Babe Ruth to win 10 games and hit 10 homers in the same season. Ohtani has 21 homers this season. Last season he finished with nine victories and 46 homers. A slightly larger contingent of Japanese media has been following Ohtani for his past two starts, in hopes of seeing the milestone.

“Ten wins is a nice milestone as a pitcher but I just feel like if I’m making my pitches doing my thing, numbers will follow,” Ohtani said. “I try not to think of it too much, but yes I would like to get there.”

Ohtani had a shot last Friday in Atlanta, but the Angels didn’t score a run for him and he gave up six runs in the seventh after pitching six scoreless innings.

On Thursday night, Ohtani reached double figures in strikeouts for the sixth straight game.

Ohtani gave up singles to each of the first three hitters of the game, loading the bases. He then struck out Nathaniel Lowe, Adolis Garcia and Leody Tavares to escape the jam.

That inning cost Ohtani 27 pitches, which left him fighting the numbers for the rest of the night to get deep into the game.

A couple of quick innings got him back on track, and then he gave up a run in the fourth on a homer by Lowe. He followed that with three strikeouts. Ohtani needed another 15 pitches to get through the fifth, with another run scoring, leaving him at 84.

Ohtani’s performance was particularly intriguing because he threw just 17 four-seam fastballs among his 98 pitches, including one stretch of 45 consecutive pitches from the first through fourth innings in which he didn’t throw a four-seamer.

“That was the plan for the most part, but we always make adjustments throughout the game seeing the hitters’ reactions and seeing how I’m feeling,” Ohtani said.

Ohtani returned to the fastball in the sixth, including two that cracked 100 mph, as he finished his outing with a flourish. He gave up a leadoff triple to Lowe in the sixth and then stranded him by striking out Garcia and Tavares and getting Kole Calhoun on a flyout.

Ohtani, who now has a 2.81 ERA after 17 starts, certainly pitched well enough to win, but the offensive malaise that has engulfed the Angels for two months continued.

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Their most egregious failures were in the third and fifth innings. David Fletcher – in his first game after nearly three months rehabbing from hip surgery – lined a one-out double. Ohtani had the first chance to drive him in, but he grounded out. Taylor Ward then struck out.

Brandon Marsh led off the fifth with a double, but the Angels didn’t even get him to third. Magneuris Sierra and Andrew Velazquez struck out and then Fletcher popped out to the catcher.

The Angels’ offense struggled against Rangers right-hander Spencer Howard, who brought a convenience store ERA into the game: 7.11.

The Angels came away with nothing but donuts.

“We didn’t take our best swings,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “(Howard) threw the ball well. He kept it in the zone. He didn’t walk anybody, but I don’t think we took our best swings today.”

Bases loaded, no one out? Shotime. pic.twitter.com/r4tgVkz3Um

— MLB (@MLB) July 29, 2022

Nevin on Ohtani’s outing @Angels | #GoHalos pic.twitter.com/fUMK8UVxX5

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) July 29, 2022

10-K Games by Angels Pitchers, This Season:

9 — Shohei Ohtani
1 — All others pic.twitter.com/dgMISXj6id

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 29, 2022

What a divot!! Jo Adell saves a run@Angels | #GoHalos pic.twitter.com/UXEgZK2arD

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) July 29, 2022

Thursday was the 52nd game Shohei Ohtani started on the mound.

It’s the very first time the Angels were shut out.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 29, 2022