Hit Hooray: Nine-Run First Inning Powers Dodgers Past Angels for Series Win

LOS ANGELES - It was a hit parade Saturday night at Chavez Ravine.

The Angels struck first in Game 2 of the Freeway Series when Oswaldo Peraza delivered a two-out RBI triple off Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the top of the first inning, giving Anaheim an early 1-0 lead.

That lead didn't last long.

Shohei Ohtani opened the bottom of the first with an infield single, and Andy Pages quickly erased the deficit by launching a Jack Kochanowicz changeup into the Dodgers bullpen in left field. Just like that, the Dodgers led 2-1.

And they were only getting started.

Four consecutive hits after the Pages homer extended the lead to 4-1. The Dodgers added three more runs when a throwing error by Zach Neto into right field made it 7-1. Then Ohtani came back to the plate for his second at-bat of the inning and crushed a two-run opposite-field home run, capping a stunning nine-run first inning.

It marked the first time the Dodgers scored nine or more runs in a single inning since June 2, 2021, when they defeated the Cardinals 14-3.

While the offense stole the headlines, Yamamoto was equally impressive on the mound.

After surrendering the RBI triple in the first inning, the right-hander retired the next 22 consecutive batters. He finished with eight innings of one-run ball, allowing just two hits while striking out four."Given that I had a lot of run support today, I was focusing on executing my pitches one at a time," Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised his starter for maintaining his focus despite the large lead."Sometimes when you get a big lead, you can lose focus and stop making pitches," Roberts said. "But tonight, he pitched like it was a tie game. That's what stood out to me the most."

The Dodgers cruised to a 9-2 victory, securing the series after winning the first two games. They'll look to complete the series sweep and season sweep of the Angels on Sunday.