OC Register: Angels strike quickly and hang on to complete 2-game sweep of Dodgers

AngelsWin.com · June 12, 2019

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels watches his first inning home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani watches his home run off Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Kenta Maeda, foreground, during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 11, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels rounds the bases after his first inning home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates in the dugout after his first inning home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kenta Maeda #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to the plate against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cam Bedrosian #32 of the Los Angeles Angels throws to the plate against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cam Bedrosian #32 of the Los Angeles Angels throws to the plate against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Justin Bour #41 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Justin Bour #41 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates as he rounds the bases in front of Enrique Hernandez #14 of the Los Angeles Dodgers after hitting a three-run home run in the first inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Justin Bour #41 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates as he rounds the bases in front of Enrique Hernandez #14 of the Los Angeles Dodgers after hitting a three-run home run in the first inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Felix Pena #64 of the Los Angeles Angels throws to the plate against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Corey Seager #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers steals second base under the tag of Luis Rengifo #4 of the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Enrique Hernandez #14 of the Los Angeles Dodgers shatters his bat in front of Jonathan Lucroy #20 of the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Felix Pena #64 of the Los Angeles Angels walks to the dugout after pitching against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kenta Maeda #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers gathers himself on the mound against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Angels 2019 second round draft pick Kyren Paris is introduced at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Luis Rengifo #4 of the Los Angeles Angels throws out Chris Taylor #3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers to end the top of the fifth inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy watches his solo home run next to Los Angeles Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 11, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout can’t get to a ball hit by Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy for a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 11, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Felix Pena #64 of the Los Angeles Angels looks at a ball as Max Muncy #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers rounds the bases after his solo home run in the third inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Max Muncy #13 celebrates with Cody Bellinger #35, both of the Los Angeles Dodgers after his second solo home run of the game, this one in the top of the fifth inning, at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy gestures as he scores after hitting a solo home run during the third inning of the team’s baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Max Muncy is congratulated by teammates after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Luis Rengifo #4, left, celebrates with Justin Bour, both of the Los Angeles Angels, after throwing out Chris Taylor #3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers to end the top of the fifth inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Caleb Ferguson #64 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to the plate against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Caleb Ferguson #64 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to the plate against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Justin Anderson #38 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates after Max Muncy #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers flies out to left field to end the top of the sixth inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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ANAHEIM — After the Angels scored five runs in the first inning against the vaunted Dodgers pitching staff, they no doubt had visions of a comfortable victory.

But they ended up milking their bullpen for every out they could muster to hang on for a 5-3 Freeway Series victory on Tuesday night before an announced sellout crowd of 45,404 at Angel Stadium.

Hansel Robles picked up a five-out save on 35 pitches, retiring three in a row after the Dodgers got runners on the corners with no outs in the ninth.

The Dodgers also lost Corey Seager, who came out of the game after appearing to hurt his left hamstring while running the bases in the ninth inning. There was no immediate word on the severity of the injury.

The Angels swept the two-game set, handing the sizzling Dodgers their first consecutive losses since April 23-24.

It wasn’t nearly as easy as they hoped it would be after Shohei Ohtani and Justin Bour homered in a five-run first inning against Kenta Maeda.

After that, the Angels hitters mostly took the rest of the night off, while the Dodgers chipped away, starting with a pair of solo homers from Max Muncy in the third and fifth innings.

Muncy’s 14th and 15th homers of the season both came at the expense of Félix Peña, who recorded just 11 outs following opener Cam Bedrosian. When Peña left, the Angels had a 5-2 lead, with 13 outs to go.

The Dodgers put constant pressure on the Angels pitchers, with at least one runner reaching in every inning. The Dodgers were 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position, and they left 15 runners on base.

Angels second baseman Luís Rengifo made a diving stop to end the fifth, preventing a run. Left fielder Brian Goodwin tracked down Muncy’s drive at the warning track in the sixth.

In the seventh, Ty Buttrey loaded the bases with one out, but he struck out Chris Taylor on a slider and got Kiké Hernandez on a groundout to retire the side.

Manager Brad Ausmus, who clearly trusted only Buttrey and Robles among his available relievers, sent Buttrey out for the eighth, even though he had thrown 18 pitches the night before and 22 in the seventh.

Buttrey gave up a leadoff homer to David Freese and then issued a one-out walk to Muncy, prompting Ausmus to go to Robles in hopes of a five-out save. Robles got Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger to end the eighth, then escaped the ninth.

The Angels could then exhale, having finished off what looked hours earlier like a routine victory after a surprising outburst against Maeda.

Over the previous 27 games, Dodgers starters had been 18-2 with a 1.67 ERA. They hadn’t had a starter give up five runs since Walker Buehler on May 29, and only one time all season had a starter allowed five in one inning. The Arizona Diamondbacks scored five against Buehler in the fourth inning on March 31.

Those streaks ended suddenly, all after Maeda had retired the first two Angels hitters in the first inning.

Ohtani blasted a homer against Maeda, the second time in four days that Ohtani had hit a homer against a Japanese pitcher. Ohtani had taken Yusei Kikuchi deep on Saturday.

Maeda then hit Kole Calhoun with a pitch and walked Jonathan Lucroy. Brian Goodwin poked a ground ball into left field, through the hole vacated by the shift, to drive in Calhoun.

Bour then launched a three-run homer to center field, marking a successful return to the big leagues after a three-week stint in Triple-A.

It completed the first five-run first inning against the Dodgers since last August, and it matched the Angels’ most productive inning in their 122 games against the Dodgers.

More to come on this story.

Shohei Ohtani takes the express lane to the stands. #FreewaySeries pic.twitter.com/kja9CAX3ba

— MLB (@MLB) June 12, 2019

WELCOME BACK @bour41! @Angels pic.twitter.com/SPBXZhNV0H

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) June 12, 2019

.@maxmuncy9 knew. pic.twitter.com/UQXQjg3Zy4

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 12, 2019

Making a splash. #VoteMax pic.twitter.com/SetcYm9XDY

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 12, 2019

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OC Register: Angels strike quickly and hang on to complete 2-game sweep of Dodgers

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