The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped their second consecutive Freeway Series game to the Los Angeles Angels, this time 11-9 as their offense battled but the pitching could not prevent runs.
Clayton Kershaw was back on the mound for his 2025 debut after undergoing left toe and knee surgeries in the offseason.
Kershaw expressed that he is up for the challenge of returning and was excited to be back on the mound for the Dodgers. But that may have changed early on as the southpaw struggled to settle into the game.
After striking out the leadoff hitter, Kershaw allowed a single and two walks to load the bases. A single from Logan O’Hoppe drove in two runs to put the Angels up, and a double from Matthew Lugo scored another to give the Angels three runs in the first.
The future Hall of Famer tossed a quick second inning, but then allowed a leadoff home run to Taylor Ward in the third inning. In the fourth inning, a walk, double and sacrifice fly scored the Angels their fifth run against Kershaw.
That ended up being all for Kershaw as he finished his night allowing five runs on five hits across four innings. He struck out just two and walked three as he lacked command throughout the night and missed the strike zone badly on multiple pitches.
But the Dodgers offense did their best to back up Kershaw as they came back to tie it with a three-run inning of their own in the first. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman both singled and Andy Pages tied it up with his ninth home run of the season.
After the Angels took their 5-3 lead in the fourth, Kiké Hernández hit a solo shot in the bottom half of the inning to put the Dodgers back within one run.
In the sixth, Dalton Rushing tied the game with a ground-rule double after walks from Hernández and Michael Conforto. The Dodgers then took a 6-5 lead on a wild pitch, and Shohei Ohtani drove in their seventh run by hitting into a double play.
But the Dodgers’ pitching could not hold the lead. With Ben Casparius on the mound in the seventh, Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel both doubled to make it a 7-6 game. Kirby Yates then took over and gave up a single to Jorge Soler and homer to O’Hoppe, which put the Angels up 9-7. They added another run on a single against Luis García.
Rushing drove in another run with a single in the seventh, following a walk from Hernández and single from Conforto, but Rojas struck out to leave the tying runs on base to end the inning. In the eight, the Dodgers put together a small rally with Max Muncy singling home a run, but they left the bases loaded.
Lugo homered against Alex Vesia in the ninth to give the Angels some breathing room. Kenley Jansen, who recorded the final out of the eighth, also pitched the ninth to record a four-out save for the Angels.
Dodgers lose Kirby Yates to injury
After allowing a double and walk, Yates grabbed at his hamstring and was checked on before exiting the game due what the Dodgers announced as right hamstring tightness. He was replaced by Luis García, who allowed one of the inherited runs to score.
García walked the next batter he faced to load the bases, but got a ground ball to get out of the inning.
Yates is the Dodgers only right-handed high-leverage reliever in the bullpen, so if he misses any significant amount of time, it could cause more issues for a bullpen that has already been overworked and has struggled.
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