Mike Trout hit a tying two-run homer in the seventh, and Shohei Ohtani slid home from third with the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning of the Los Angeles Angels’ 5-3 comeback victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.
After Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched the Dodgers to a 3-1 lead through six innings and a chance at his seventh consecutive victory, the Angels rallied against the Dodgers’ bullpen to win the Freeway Series opener at a sold-out Angel Stadium.
One inning after Trout dramatically tied it with a two-out homer off Dylan Floro, the Angels scored two runs without a hit off beleaguered Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly (1-3).
Ohtani drew a leadoff walk as a pinch-hitter, advancing to second on Kelly’s throwing error and getting to third on a wild pitch. Wilfredo Tovar hit a short grounder to third with the bases loaded, but Ohtani sped home as Max Muncy’s high throw pulled Russell Martin’s foot off the plate.
Brian Goodwin then scored on the second wild pitch of the inning by Kelly, whose rough debut season in the Dodgers’ bullpen got even worse.
Chris Taylor had an early two-run double for the Dodgers, who went scoreless in the final seven innings and lost for only the fourth time in 17 games.
Ty Buttrey (4-2) escaped a two-on, nobody out jam of his own making in the eighth for the Angels, who had lost five of seven heading into their interleague rivalry series against the major league-leading Dodgers, who had won 13 of 16.
Hansel Robles gave up two leadoff singles in the ninth, but covered first to finish a game-ending double play in his eighth save.
Ryu yielded seven hits and one run over six resilient innings, but the Dodgers’ dominant lefty was denied 10th victory of the season when his bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. Ryu hadn’t failed to win a start since May 1, and he still hasn’t allowed more than two runs in a start this season.
Ryu gave up his first homer since April 26 when Kole Calhoun connected in the second inning, ending his streak of 19 2/3 scoreless innings. Ryu hadn’t even allowed a run in five of his six previous starts.
Trout went 0 for 3 with two inning-ending strikeouts against Ryu, but the superstar evened the game against Floro in the seventh, blasting his 18th homer on a two-strike, two-out pitch.
Angels rookie Griffin Canning yielded just five hits over six innings in his first taste of this rivalry, retiring 10 of 11 at one point and pitching out of a jam in the sixth. He still left trailing 3-1 after the Dodgers’ three-run rally in the second.
After Taylor drove in Corey Seager and Martin in the second, Enrique Hernandez followed with another double to score Taylor.
Calhoun hit his 14th homer later in the second, but Ryu stranded six runners over the next five innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: David Freese didn’t play because of nagging right knee tendinitis, although manager Dave Roberts said the veteran was available. Hernandez played first base instead, with Max Muncy playing third and Justin Turner serving as the designated hitter to keep his tight hamstring healthy.
Angels: Matt Harvey had a setback in his return from a back injury, and his rehab assignment at Triple-A Salt Lake will be interrupted, manager Brad Ausmus said. He hasn’t pitched for Los Angeles since May 23.
UP NEXT
Kenta Maeda (7-2, 3.61 ERA) is likely to face countryman Shohei Ohtani in the second game of the Freeway Series. The Angels counter with a possible opener and Félix Peña (4-1, 4.53 ERA), who has never beaten the Dodgers or won an interleague game.
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