Just three days removed from playing in the Seoul Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers resumed their Spring Training schedule with a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels in the exhibition Freeway Series opener.
“There’s already a buzz out there outside the stadium,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before first pitch. “Sometimes you’ve just got to sort of read the room, and I say that because there’s already a lot of excitement.
“It’s going to be a very good representation of Southern California fans, mainly Dodger fans, here the next couple nights. Our guys are pretty well aware what’s at stake and how excited they are for Opening Day.”
After a scoreless first inning, Jason Heyward gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead with a two-run, RBI double in the second. The inning then was kept alive by Gavin Lux’s blooper into shallow left field that landed fair to score Max Muncy and Heyward.
Still just Spring Training, but Shohei Ohtani introduced as a member of the #Dodgers at Dodger Stadium for the first time. pic.twitter.com/dF8sw9d9hN
— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) March 25, 2024
Bobby Miller has his strikeout stuff working tonight.
(🎥: @Dodgers) pic.twitter.com/dYViIiJG2b— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) March 25, 2024
A four-run inning! pic.twitter.com/CNsSX08NBc
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 25, 2024
Freddie Freeman capped off the four-run inning with a bases-loaded walk. The Dodgers largely went quiet from there, but Kiké Hernández provided some insurance in the seventh inning with a sacrifice fly.
Bobby Miller pitched into the fifth inning of his final tuneup before the regular season. Miller held the Angels scoreless over 4.2 innings and finished with five strikeouts against just one walk. He threw 80 pitches and reiterated the need to be more efficient.
“Definitely a little too many pitches for the amount of innings that I threw, but that second inning was also really good for me,” Miller said. “I had a runner on second with no outs, 3-1 count. I’m never going to give in.
“I’m telling myself there’s no doubt in my mind I’m going to make a pitch. And if I don’t, so what? I got a force out the next at-bat, get a ground ball to get out of it.”
Next for Dodgers
Gavin Stone starts Monday night before the Dodgers then conclude their Spring Training schedule with James Paxton on the mound in Anaheim on Tuesday.
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