The Los Angeles Dodgers relied on a deep bullpen performance and a late-game sacrifice fly from Freddie Freeman to secure a 1-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon at Globe Life Field. The win capped the weekend series with a narrow escape, as both teams struggled to generate offense in a tightly contested pitchers’ duel.
Pre-game betting lines positioned the Dodgers as slight favorites at approximately -120 on the moneyline, while the Rangers were listed near even odds. The projected total for the game was 8.5 runs, which was never in danger of being reached in this low-scoring affair.
Freeman delivered the game’s only run in the top of the eighth inning. Pinch-hitter Will Smith led off the frame with a single against Rangers reliever Chris Martin. Shohei Ohtani, back in the lineup after being activated from the paternity list, drew a walk to put two runners aboard. After a deep fly ball moved the lead runner to third, Freeman lifted a fly ball to deep left field, allowing Smith to tag and score.
Ohtani, who missed the previous two games following the birth of his first child, finished 0-for-3 with a walk but played a key role in setting up the decisive run.
Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow was effective early but exited the game one pitch into the fifth inning due to lower leg cramps. Glasnow had been visited by manager Dave Roberts and team trainer Thomas Albert an inning earlier but remained in the game before being removed as a precaution.
Following Glasnow’s departure, six Los Angeles relievers combined to hold the Rangers scoreless for the game. Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius, Jack Dreyer, Evan Phillips, and Tanner Scott pitched five shutout innings, limiting Texas to just two hits during that stretch. Casparius earned his second win, while Scott recorded his eighth save by closing out the ninth.
The Rangers had a chance to tie the game in their final at-bat. Returning to the lineup after missing nine games with an oblique strain, Wyatt Langford reached base and attempted to steal second but was thrown out to end the game. The Rangers challenged the call, but the ruling was upheld.
Rangers starter Tyler Mahle turned in a strong performance, holding the Dodgers to just two hits over seven shutout innings. Mahle struck out four and walked three, lowering his earned run average to 0.68, the best in Major League Baseball. He also maintained the league’s lowest opposing batting average, now at .112.
Los Angeles managed just three hits in the game but made the most of their limited opportunities, snapping their brief losing streak with a victory rooted in timely execution and bullpen depth.
Both teams will return to action on Tuesday. The Dodgers will travel to Wrigley Field, where right-hander Dustin May is scheduled to start against the Chicago Cubs. May enters the matchup with a 1-1 record and a 1.06 ERA. The Rangers head to Sacramento for a series against the Oakland Athletics, where left-hander Patrick Corbin will take the mound with a 1-0 record and a 3.86 ERA.
