Angels get to Dodgers’ relievers
Two runs in the seventh inning and two in the eighth erase early deficit.
The space between a cleated foot and home plate at Angel Stadium determined the outcome of Monday night’s Freeway Series opener. The Angels beat the Dodgers 5-3 when Shohei Ohtani slid feet-first safely into home in the eighth inning.
The Angels’ Wilfredo Tovar weakly grounded a ball to third baseman Max Muncy with one out and the bases loaded. Muncy made a high throw to catcher Russell Martin as Ohtani charged in from third. Ohtani’s hand swept over the back of the plate just before Martin’s foot landed, with home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi calling him safe.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts challenged the play as many in the announced crowd of 45,477 rose to their feet to watch replays on the video boards and root in the Dodgers’ favor. They were disappointed. The call was upheld.
Moments later, an unbridled Joe Kelly threw a wild pitch that allowed Angels pinch-hitter Brian Goodwin, who had been intentionally walked, to score and give the Angels a two-run lead.
The bullpen is the Dodgers’ most significant flaw and Kelly has been its weakest link. Signed to a threeyear, $25-million contract during the offseason, Kelly is off to a dismal start that forced the Dodgers to relegate him to low-leverage work.
Before Monday, Kelly had not pitched in a game that was as close as three runs since he was charged with
three runs in one-third of an inning in a three-run game against the San Diego Padres on May 4. His next eight appearances all came with the Dodgers leading or trailing by at least four runs.
Then Monday rolled around. Kelly was summoned in the eighth inning of a tied game. He walked his first batter, pinch-hitter Ohtani, and threw 31 pitches as the Angels rallied.
Kelly’s struggles spoiled the efforts of Dodgers starter Hyun Jin-Ryu. He gave up only one run on seven hits in six innings, striking out six as he continued his dominant season.
The meltdown also overshadowed the heroics of Angels star Mike Trout. The perennial All-Star and the owner of the baseball’s most lucrative contract smashed a tying, two-run homer off Dodgers reliever Dylan Floro in the seventh to knot the game 3-3.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had moments earlier removed Ross Stripling, against whom Trout entered five for five with two home runs in his career, for Floro.
The Dodgers entered the game batting .263 with an .808 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, both marks that rank third in MLB. They had scored 349 runs, baseball’s sixth-most prolific effort on offense.
Angels starter Griffin Canning, the Santa Margarita High and UCLA product the Angels selected with their second pick of the 2017 draft, didn’t let the numbers rattle him.
Canning kept his poise against the most dominant lineup he’s faced since making his debut here April 30. He induced 19 swings-andmisses, including eight on his slider. He deployed the rest of his arsenal well enough to hold the Dodgers to three runs and five hits over six innings.
As his pitch count climbed to 83, his fastball velocity didn’t suffer: He struck out Martin on a 95.6mph heater, his secondhardest of the night, to end the sixth inning after getting himself into a jam with runners on the corners and no outs.
Canning didn’t factor into the decision. Neither did Ryu, the second starting pitcher in baseball history to allow two or fewer runs over 13 consecutive starts to begin a season. Only Detroit Tigers right-hander Al Benton had a longer streak, making 15 such starts in 1945.
Kole Calhoun snapped Ryu’s scoreless-innings streak, which dated to May 25, at 192⁄3 innings when the left-handed hitter swatted a changeup left over the middle of the plate to center field for a solo home run.
The Angels mustered no further damage against Ryu, whose 1.36 earned-run average through 86 innings is the lowest among all qualified starters.
It didn’t matter. Kelly’s erratic pitching was enough to help the Angels prevail.
Staff writer Jorge Castillo contributed to this report