OC Register: Karros family celebrates but Angels edge Dodgers in Freeway Series finale

[AngelsWin.com]

ANAHEIM — With the final game of spring training on the line, Dodgers prospect Jared Karros took the mound against the Angels with a keen observer watching from the television booth upstairs.

Former Dodgers star Eric Karros was doing color commentary for SportsNet LA when his son and former 16th-round draft pick in 2022 stepped on the mound in a major league stadium.

Never mind that it was an exhibition game, there were plenty of midseason nerves.

“So Howie Long, I work with him at FOX and we cross over in September with football and baseball,” Eric Karros said. “He had two kids play at the highest level (in the NFL).

“I remember talking to him about watching your kid and he said, ‘It’s like when you played and get ready for a game and have all this adrenaline and then you can go release it out on the field. Watching your kid, you get all this adrenaline and you just have to sit and you can’t let it loose. It eats you up inside.’ And that’s exactly what it is.”

The younger Karros walked Matt Thaiss to open the inning before finding his stride. He got Zach Neto to fly out to left field, retired Jack Lopez on another fly ball to left and ended the seventh inning when Jo Adell was called out on strikes.

As the son walked off the mound as the picture of calm, dad stood up in the booth and applauded his approval.

Back out to pitch again in the eighth inning, Jared Karros gave up a hit but struck out the side by retiring three projected Angels regulars in Mickey Moniak, Taylor Ward and Nolan Schanuel.

Again the older Karros rose to his feet, letting out shouts of approval while thrusting his fist into the air.

As for that rule of never cheering in the press box?

“I told them they can take my press credential away,” Eric Karros said with a laugh.

Jared Karros pitched in 19 games (16 starts) at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga last season with a 3.95 ERA but has not yet learned of his minor league assignment for this season.

“To watch this, and especially to see him succeed and have the type of outing he did, it’s something I’m always going to remember,” said Karros, who holds the Los Angeles Dodgers record of 270 home runs. “The gamut of emotion probably went from puking to crying to screaming. All over the map.”

While Jared Karros kept it close for the Dodgers, the Angels still won the game, 4-3, in the ninth against Dodgers left-hander John Rooney, when Zach Neto tripled with two outs and Lopez ended the game with a bloop RBI single to left.

It was the Angels who leaned into their offense first, getting a two-run double from Brandon Drury in the first inning and a towering home run from Miguel Sanó to left field in the second inning for a 3-0 lead. All three runs came off Dodgers starter James Paxton.

Sano had been told he made the Opening Day roster by Manager Ron Washington after Monday’s game at Dodger Stadium.

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The Dodgers used their power to get back into the game with Freddie Freeman and Will Smith hitting back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning to pull within a run. The Dodgers tied it in the sixth on a home run to center field from Gavin Lux.

Paxton gave up three runs on four hits over five innings of his final spring start, with two walks and two strikeouts. He is expected to start the fifth game of the Dodgers’ season-opening homestand on Monday against the San Francisco Giants.

Angels starter Chase Silseth gave up two runs on two hits over five innings with no walks, while showing his potential with 10 strikeouts.

“I put a lot into today,” Silseth said. “It felt like the real thing today, which is good. I was ready. I’m ready now (to) hit the ground running.”

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