The Los Angeles Dodgers made the drive down the 5 Freeway to face the Los Angeles Angels in the latest edition of the Freeway Series. This matchup marked the first of three preseason meetings between the two clubs, with the remaining games set to be played at Dodger Stadium. Entering the game, the Dodgers held a 19–8 spring training record, while the Angels came in at 16–14.
The Angels struck first in the bottom of the second inning, as Jorge Soler launched a solo home run to left field. However, the Dodgers answered immediately in the top of the third when Teoscar Hernández blasted a solo homer of his own. That swing ignited a massive inning, as Los Angeles erupted for nine runs. With the bases loaded, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Max Muncy each drew walks, bringing in Andy Pages, Shohei Ohtani, and Kyle Tucker to make it 4–1. Hernández followed with a ground ball to left field, scoring Betts and Freeman to extend the lead to 6–1. Pages then singled to right, driving in Muncy, before Ohtani capped the inning with a two-run double to center, scoring Hernández and Pages and pushing the score to 10–1.
The Dodgers added another run later when Will Smith singled to left, allowing Betts to score. The Angels showed signs of life in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Soler delivered again with a three-run homer, bringing in Mike Trout and Nolan Schanuel to cut the deficit to 11–4. Later in the inning, Oswald Peraza grounded out but drove in Jo Adell, making it 11–5.
That would be all the scoring for the Angels, while the Dodgers continued to add on. A James Tibbs III home run in the seventh and an Emil Morales RBI single in the eighth—scoring Santiago Espinal—extended the lead and sealed a 13–5 victory.
The Dodgers showcased their offensive firepower, highlighted by a dominant third inning that put the game out of reach. Tyler Glasnow had an impressive 11 strikeouts this game. Meanwhile, the Angels struggled to generate consistent offense and couldn’t contain the Dodgers’ bats on the mound. The two teams will meet twice more in preseason play before the regular season begins on March 25.
