The Dodgers battled hard to regain the lead in the ninth inning, but the Angels came back to tie it in the bottom of the ninth before walking off the Dodgers 7-6 in a 10 inning affair on Tuesday.
Old friend Tyler Anderson was originally supposed to start the middle match, but the southpaw was a late scratch, and right-hander Victor Meredos made his first big league start. It didn’t begin well, as he walked Shohei Ohtani and plunked Mookie Betts to put two men on with nobody out.
The Dodgers were able
to strike first and grab ahold of their first lead of the series, with Teoscar Hernández slicing an RBI single over the leaping Zach Neto to plate Ohtani. The Dodgers had runners at the corners with just one out, but Max Muncy lined out to Nolan Schanuel, stepping on the first base bag to double up Hernández.
The Dodgers lead was short lived, as Taylor Ward tied the game up with an RBI single against Emmet Sheehan. Yoan Moncada followed Ward with an RBI double over the head of Andy Pages, scoring Mike Trout and giving the Angels the lead. Jo Adell grounded out to short, but plated Ward from third to give the Angels a three-run first inning.
Mederos made quick work of Pages and Conforto on just six pitches, but rookie Alex Freeland worked the count full, eventually reaching on a free pass. The two-out walk proved costly for Mederos, as Dalton Rushing connected for his first major league home run against a legitimate pitcher, tying the game at three.
Sheehan found a nice rhythm on the mound in the second inning, retiring the side in order on just 12 pitches after tossing 31 in the first. Sheehan had set down seven hitters in a row, but with two outs in the bottom of the third, Ward attacked the first pitch he saw over the center field wall to put the Angels back in front by a run. Rookie Bryce Teodosio extended the lead to two runs in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double down the left field line with two outs, giving the outfielder his first career RBI.
Mederos’ outing was complete after tossing four full innings on 72 pitches, and the southpaw Andrew Chafin kept the rookie in line for the win after getting the first two hitters out. Things began to unravel after Mookie Betts reached on a two-out single, and in a matter of just two pitches afterwards, the Dodgers had three straight two-out baserunners and shrunk the lead back to a run. A walk to Muncy loaded the bases, and the Angels replaced Chafin with Ryan Zeferjahn to face the right-handed hitting Pages. After loading the count full, Pages worked a bases-loaded walk to tie the game. Michael Conforto had the chance to be the hero, but struck out swinging after working the count full to leave the bases loaded. The Dodgers are now 0-7 in bases loaded opportunities over their last three games.
The Dodgers were in a prime position to regain the lead as Freeland and Rushing began the sixth inning with a pair of singles against lefty Brock Burke. With the potential tying run at second base, Shohei Ohtani lined a weak line drive up the middle that was caught by Neto behind the second base bag. Neto quickly doubled up Freeland at second before firing a strike to Schanuel to nab Rushing at first, c0mpleting a 6-3 triple play. It was the first time the Dodgers hit into a triple play since Sep. 24 of last season, where the San Diego Padres went around the horn to clinch a postseason spot.
The trio of Jack Dreyer, Edgardo Henríquez, and Blake Treinen held the Angels to just one hit over three innings of work, while the duo of Luis García and Reid Detmers did their part in keeping the Dodgers scoreless after tying the game in the fifth inning.
Old friend Kenley Jansen came in to face his old team for the second straight day, and the first batter he faced, Shohei Ohtani, rocketed his fourth home run in as many games to give the Dodgers their first lead since the first inning. It was Ohtani’s 43rd home run of the season— passing Kyle Schwarber for the National League lead— and home run n0. 101 hit at Angel Stadium. Ohtani had previously been 0-7 in his career against Jansen prior to Tuesday.
Alex Vesia came in to try and snap the Dodgers’ losing streak, but immediately allowed a single to Luis Rengifo and a walk to Logan O’Hoppe with nobody out. After walking Zach Neto to load the bases, Nolan Schanuel needed to just put the ball into the outfield to tie the game, which he did with a sacrifice fly to center field, tying the score at six. Vesia once again loaded the bases after walking Mike Trout, and Ben Casparius was brought in to face Taylor Ward. After falling behind in the count 3-0, Casparius was gift wrapped a strike one call on a fastball that missed inside, and he finished with a swinging strikeout of Ward to leave the bases loaded and send the game to extra innings.
Connor Brogdon kept the Dodgers scoreless in the top half of the 10th inning, leaving the ghost runner Justin Dean stranded at third base. Rookie Christian Moore laid down a bunt down the first base line to begin the bottom of the 10th, but the ball nested right on the line and Will Smith’s patience allowed for Moore to reach on an infield single. A high chopper from Jo Adell bounced over Max Muncy and into left field, scoring Ward and sending the Dodgers to their sixth straight loss to the Angels.
Game particulars
- Home runs— Dalton Rushing (2), Shohei Ohtani (43); Taylor Ward (28)
- WP— Connor Brogdon (3-1): 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
- LP— Ben Casparius (7-5): 1/3 IP, 2 hits, 1 run (0 earned), 0 walks, 1 strikeout
Up next
The Dodgers wrap up their three-game series against the Angels on Wednesday (6:38 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA) before heading back home to host the San Diego Padres over the weekend. Shohei Ohtani makes his first career start against his old team, while right-hander Kyle Hendricks starts the finale for the Angels.
