Dodgers extend season sweep of Angels with dominant Yamamoto performance
Yoshinobu Yamamoto retires 22 consecutive batters as Los Angeles Dodgers secure a 9-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.
The Los Angeles Dodgers maintained their stranglehold on the Los Angeles Angels with a decisive 9-2 victory on Saturday night, completing a season sweep of the divisional rivals. The win extends the Dodgers' dominance over the Angels to five consecutive meetings, during which they have outscored their opponents 41-5.
The contest was defined by a nine-run first inning, the team's highest single-inning total since July 2, 2021. The Dodgers sent 12 batters to the plate and reeled off six straight hits before recording their first out of the inning. Andy Pages and Shohei Ohtani contributed home runs, with Pages hitting his 14th homer into the bullpen and Ohtani adding a two-run shot that extended the lead to 9-1.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the reigning World Series MVP, delivered a masterclass in pitching efficiency. He retired 22 consecutive batters over eight innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four. The right-hander threw 93 pitches, 69 of which were strikes, lowering his earned run average to 2.68. His performance included seven consecutive one-two-three innings following the initial damage in the first.
In contrast, Angels starter Jack Kochanowitz struggled significantly, being removed after one-third of an inning. He allowed seven runs, six of them earned, and six hits on 38 pitches. The Dodgers capitalized on Kochanowitz's struggles, loading the bases before a throwing error by Angels shortstop Zach Neto allowed three more runs to score.
The Dodgers, who currently lead the NL West, have now won 18 of their last 23 games overall. Ohtani finished 2 for 4 with a strikeout and a walk, while Angels shortstop Zach Neto hit a home run off Jack Dreyer in the ninth inning. The series concludes on Sunday with Angels right-hander José Soriano facing Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan.
