By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
ANAHEIM — The Dodgers didn’t just win the Freeway Series. They made a point.
Over three games at Angel Stadium, the Dodgers outscored the Angels 31-3, controlling the series with power, pitching and pressure from start to finish. Los Angeles opened with a 6-0 shutout Friday, followed with a 15-2 rout Saturday and closed the weekend with a 10-1 win Sunday to complete the sweep.
The most memorable moment came from Shohei Ohtani, who put on a show against his former team. Ohtani drove in a season-high five runs Saturday, going 2-for-4 with two walks and two runs scored in the Dodgers’ blowout win.
In the eighth inning, Ohtani delivered one of the strangest highlights of the season. He ripped a ball down the right-field line that appeared headed out of play, but it hit the protective netting and bounced back onto the field. Angels right fielder Jo Adell raised his hands, thinking the ball was dead, but play continued. Ohtani never stopped running, scoring on what was officially ruled a two-run triple and an error.
“I just kept running,” Ohtani said through an interpreter after the game.
The play turned into a “Little League home run” and became the signature moment of a series that belonged completely to the Dodgers. MLB’s universal ground rules state that a ball striking protective netting and rebounding onto the field remains live and in play, which is why the Angels’ challenge did not overturn the call.
Ohtani was not finished. In the ninth inning, he added a bases-loaded double, drawing “MVP” chants from the large group of Dodgers fans in attendance.
The Dodgers’ dominance started Friday, when eight pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout. Andy Pages and Max Muncy hit back-to-back home runs during a four-run fourth inning, and Teoscar Hernández added a two-run homer in the sixth.
On Sunday, rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki helped close the sweep with the best start of his young major league career. Sasaki allowed one run on four hits over seven innings, struck out eight and did not issue a walk. Ohtani and Pages each drove in two runs in the fourth inning as the Dodgers pulled away again.
For the Angels, the weekend was another rough reminder of the gap between the two clubs. They managed only three runs across the series and could not slow a Dodgers lineup that looked comfortable, aggressive and locked in.
For the Dodgers, the series offered a clear sign of momentum. Ohtani looked refreshed, the offense found its rhythm and the pitching staff delivered three complete performances.
The Freeway Series may be a local rivalry, but this weekend, the Dodgers turned it into a statement.