This year’s Freeway Series at Dodger Stadium features teams on very different paths.
The Angels have already been established as a team with little to no hope of reaching the postseason, while the team down the I-5 is the favorite to win yet another World Series title.
In Anaheim, the first time around in 2026, the Dodgers swept the Angels and outscored them 31-3 during a lopsided 3 game series.
At least in game 1 this time around, the Angels brought a little more fight to the battle of LA.
Roki Sasaki pitched 7 shutout innings for the Dodgers, striking out 10, while Reid Detmers followed suit with 6 shutout innings of his own. Both pitchers allowed only 2 hits and gave their clubs a great chance to win, as the bats were silent for most of the night.
Sasaki has really picked up his play for the Dodgers. He has now gone 6 consecutive games without giving up more than 3 runs, and has only given up 4 over his last 4 starts.
“This is the guy that we saw on video in Japan and that we hoped to get. I think we are all guilty of expecting it to be seamless, which is certainly not fair to Roki. We had to appreciate that there would be some transition period, and he went through some tough times and doubts, but he has gotten through to the other side,” said Roberts.
It was not just Sasaki, however, as there was great defense behind him all game long. Most notably, a barehanded pick and throw by Miguel Rojas, and a diving stop at third from Santiago Espinal to save a run late in the game.
In the end, it was Mr. Walkoff himself, Freddie Freeman, who won the game for the Dodgers. Freeman led off the ninth inning and ended the game with a solo shot to right-center. The homer was the only run scored by either team.
“(My confidence in those situations) has always been pretty high. That doesn’t change. I had a nice game plan going into it, and I was able to get a good pitch,” said Freeman.
At this point, it feels like when Freeman comes up in the ninth inning or later with the score tied, it is a forgone conclusion that he will leave the ballpark.
The Los Angeles ballclubs will square off 2 more times this weekend as the Angels look to pick up their first win of the season against the crosstown rival Dodgers.
The Angels dropped to 24-40 on the year, while the Dodgers moved to 41-23 and now hold a 7.5 game lead in the NL West.
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.
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