Kazmir walked Kole Calhoun with two outs in the fourth, then was let down by Seager as he dropped a pop-up in shallow left field. Perez made the Dodgers, lining Kazmir’s next pitch to right field for an RBI single that gave the Angels a 1-0 lead.
Heaney protected the lead by retiring the Dodgers in order for a second consecutive inning. After Yunel Escobar hit a one-out single in the fifth, Kazmir appeared to get out of the inning on a double play.
However, Angels manager Mike Scioscia successfully challenged the out call at first base. That marked the end of Kazmir’s night, with Yimi Garcia coming on in relief. Garcia got Pujols to fly to center for the third out.
Seager led off the bottom of the fifth with a base hit and moved into scoring position on a Heaney wild pitch. Puig’s two-out RBI single tied the game at 1-1 before Heaney could get out of the inning.
Simmons pulled a two-out single to left field off Pedro Baez in the sixth, but he was out as he attempted to stretch it to a double. A.J. Ellis reached on a throwing error with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. He was stranded as Charlie Culberson lined out to center field.
Louis Coleman worked around a leadoff single in the seventh to toss a scoreless inning of relief. Al Alburquerque struck out the side in the bottom of the inning to keep the game tied at 1-1.
J.P. Howell entered in the eighth, gave up a leadoff single, and was promptly removed. Chris Hatcher came on in relief and was unable to get out of the inning before Todd Cunningham’s RBI single gave the Angels a 2-1 lead.
The Dodgers had the tying run reach base with two outs in the ninth, but couldn’t cash it in and dropped the series opener to their crosstown rival.
