Travis d’Arnaud delivered a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning, helping lift the Los Angeles Angels to a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The win secured a three-game series sweep for the Angels in the annual Freeway Series, marking their first such sweep since 2010.
Before the game, betting lines showed a near-even matchup, with the Dodgers listed as slight favorites at -120 on the moneyline, while the Angels entered the contest at +100. Despite the odds, the Angels emerged on top after a tightly contested game.
D’Arnaud broke a 4-4 deadlock by homering off Dodgers reliever Anthony Banda in the eighth inning. It was d’Arnaud’s first home run of the season and his second run batted in the game. His decisive swing came after the Dodgers had rallied to tie the score in the seventh with a three-run home run by Will Smith off Angels reliever Shaun Anderson.
Anderson, who had surrendered the game-tying homer, settled in afterward and retired the side in order in both the eighth and ninth innings. He was credited with the win, his first since joining the Angels. The game concluded when Anderson struck out Shohei Ohtani on a changeup, closing out a series that saw the Angels outscore the Dodgers 16-10 over three games.
Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi started for the Angels and delivered a strong performance, allowing just one run on three hits across five and two-thirds innings while striking out seven. Kikuchi exited the game with an apparent ankle injury following a collision at first base with Dodgers infielder Tommy Edman.
Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin encountered issues from the outset. On only his fifth pitch of the game, Gonsolin cut his right thumb, which visibly bled through his pants. Though he remained in the game, his control suffered. He gave up four runs on four hits and issued five walks in four innings. Gonsolin allowed two home runs, including a leadoff solo shot by Zach Neto and a two-run homer by Taylor Ward in the first inning. D’Arnaud added an RBI single in the third to build a 4-1 lead for the Angels.
Kikuchi faced trouble in the fifth after allowing an RBI single to Ohtani and loading the bases with two outs. He managed to escape the jam by inducing a flyout from Freddie Freeman. Despite his solid season-long performance, Kikuchi remains winless with a 0-4 record despite a respectable 3.50 ERA over 10 starts.
Banda, who took the loss for the Dodgers, has now allowed five home runs in 20 2/3 innings pitched this season. That matches his home run total from last year, which came across 49 2/3 innings.
The Angels head to Oakland next, where right-hander José Soriano (2-4, 3.46 ERA) is scheduled to face J.T. Ginn (1-1, 4.61 ERA) on Monday night. The Dodgers will host the Arizona Diamondbacks, with right-hander Landon Knack (2-1, 5.89 ERA) set to take the mound against Brandon Pfaadt (6-3, 3.73 ERA).