Two of the top home-run hitting teams in baseball have not disappointed in a pair of head-to-head matchups, with the host Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels meeting for a third time in their series finale Sunday.
The Angels erupted for double-digit runs and three home runs in an 11-9 victory over the Dodgers Saturday when Logan O’Hoppe had a homer and a career-high five RBIs. Taylor Ward and Matthew Lugo also hit home runs.
The victory clinched the Angels’ first series victory at Dodger Stadium since 2019 and the first three-game series victory since 2012. It was just their second series victory in their last eight tries this season.
“It does feel good when you’re in an environment like this, and things are a little bit more emotional, when you do come out with a win like that,” O’Hoppe said. “But yeah, we don’t want to be surprised or any higher on a win than we are normally, so we’ll take the good from it and move on.”
Kenley Jansen recorded a four-out save against his former club, his eighth. It was his second scoreless outing against the Dodgers in two nights.
“It’s definitely emotional every time I step on that mound,” said Jansen, who recorded 350 saves in 12 seasons with the Dodgers. “You know, the majority of my career is there, so I enjoy being on that mound again.”
The Angels will send left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-4, 3.72 ERA) to the mound. He is 1-2 with a 5.09 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers.
Kikuchi will be opposed by Dodgers right-hander Tony Gonsolin (2-0, 2.81).
With Dodgers starters Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki on the injured list, Gonsolin’s solid return from Tommy John surgery has been a welcome sight. In his three outings he has gone at least five innings each time.
Gonsolin had nine strikeouts in his season debut April 30 and allowed just three hits in a win last Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has three career starts against the Angels, going 3-0 with a 3.79 ERA.
While the Angels’ three home runs moved them into fifth in baseball with 62 this season, the Dodgers hit two on Saturday and are second with 76, two behind the Yankees.
The clubs have a combined seven home runs in the series, including one from Shohei Ohtani, who went deep against his former club Friday and leads MLB with 16 homers.
While the Dodgers’ starting staff deals with injuries, the bullpen appeared to take another hit when right-hander Kirby Yates left Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury. Dodgers late-inning relievers Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips and Blake Treinen already are on the injured list.
“He felt it on a throw. The early assessment is Grade 1,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Yates. “I don’t see how it’s not an IL just given a hamstring. But we’ll see how he comes in (Sunday).”
After the first two games of his career, Dodgers rookie catcher Dalton Rushing has four hits, two RBIs and four runs scored. He remains the backup to Will Smith, who leads all catchers in batting average at .336.
–Field Level Media
