On Saturday night, the Dodgers showcased an impressive range of scoring techniques.
There were walks, hit batters, a sacrifice fly, and even an error. And of course, Shohei Otani hit a home run—well, in a manner of speaking.
Whenever a run needed pushing across, the Dodgers found a way, no matter how unconventional.
They managed to rack up 15 runs against the Angels in Anaheim, needing only 10 hits for their most prolific offensive outing of the season.
This win marked their fourth straight, setting them up to face their rivals in the upcoming Freeway Series.
Initially, the Dodgers struggled to make contact against one of the league’s top pitchers, hard-throwing righty Jose Soriano. He pitched five innings, allowing just one hit (a single by Mookie Betts) and only gave up one run, courtesy of Will Smith’s sac fly in the first.
However, as the night wore on and Soriano showed some inconsistency, the Dodgers adapted.
In the sixth inning, they scored five runs despite managing only one hit.
Instead, they capitalized on walks and passed balls, making the most of each opportunity—loading the bases twice, once with walks and another time with a hit batter, leading to three runs.
Finally, Alex Cole broke through with a two-run homer, pushing the score to 6-0.
From there, the Dodgers’ momentum only grew, culminating in a four-run eighth inning and another five runs in the ninth.
Otani contributed significantly during both of these innings.
In the eighth, he hit a ball that bounced off the right field netting, marking his first triple of the season, and then turned it into a Little League home run after the Angels mishandled a relay throw. Later, Mookie Betts added the team’s only traditional home run in his next at-bat.
In the ninth, as the Dodgers had already scored two runs—one due to a throwing error from relief pitcher Alek Manoah—Otani struck again. This time, he hit a double into the right field corner, bringing in three more runs and finishing the night with a career-high five RBIs.
What It Means
After a rocky few weeks in April and early May, the Dodgers (28-18) seem to be finding their rhythm again, having won their last few games. Importantly, their offense looks to be waking up.
They’ve racked up 26 runs in just three games.
Soriano, after a solid performance, improved his ERA significantly, while Justin Roblewski put in a commendable six-inning, two-run, five-strikeout start, bringing his ERA down to 2.49.
This win allowed the Dodgers’ main relievers a much-needed rest, especially after a taxing game the night before.
Who Is Hot
Roblewski has been consistent, managing to limit the damage against the Angels, holding them to a mere 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
It was his sixth consecutive start pitching at least six innings, and in six of his seven starts this season, he’s kept opponents to two runs or fewer.
Earlier, he made a significant defensive play too. Pages saved what could’ve tied the game with a fantastic diving catch in center field, and after a rough sixth inning for the Angels, Roblewski bounced back against the next three batters.
Who Is Not?
On the other hand, the Angels (16-30) have hit a rough patch, marking their 30th loss of the season.
Despite a decent effort on Saturday, their inadequate hitting, poor pitching, and lackluster defense during the latter innings ultimately cost them.
The Dodgers’ scoring spree seemed almost effortless, largely due to the Angels’ mistakes.
To The Next
As the Dodgers look to win the series for the first time in a month, they’re set to start Roki Sasaki (1-3, 5.88 ERA) in the final game on Sunday. The Angels will counter with Grayson Rodriguez, who will make his long-awaited debut after a series of injury setbacks.
