Taylor Ward delivered a tiebreaking run-scoring single in the top of the 10th inning as the Los Angeles Angels notched a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night in the opener of a two-game set at Dodger Stadium.
Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers hit a massive two-run homer and reached base four times in his first game against his former team but his 455-foot blast accounted for all his team’s runs. Ohtani had two of the Dodgers’ five hits.
Ward had two of his team’s four hits as the Angels snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Dodgers.
Ohtani departed the Angels after last season as a free agent and signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
Jo Adell was the runner on second to start the Angels’ 10th and he was sacrificed to third. Evan Phillips (0-1) replaced Anthony Banda and retired one hitter before Ward came up with two outs and ripped a single to the left of Dodgers third baseman Enrique Hernandez and into left field.
In the bottom of the 10th, pinch runner Cavan Biggio was on second and advanced to third on a groundout. Carlos Estevez then struck out Hernandez and Gavin Lux to end it for his 14th save of the season.
Luis Garcia (2-0) allowed one hit in two innings of scoreless relief for the Angels.
Ohtani’s homer was a moonshot off Matt Moore that landed well beyond the center field fence. Austin Barnes had a two-out single off Moore to keep the fifth inning alive and Ohtani followed by jumping all over Moore’s 1-1 fastball.
The homer was Ohtani’s fifth in the last six games and 22nd of the season. He also had an infield single and walked twice.
The Angels answered in much different fashion in the top of the sixth.
Dodgers reliever Ryan Yarbrough hit three batters in the inning. First he plunked Luis Rengifo leading off the inning before Ward followed with a single. One out later, Yarbrough hit Logan O’Hoppe to load the bases.
Yarbrough then hit Zach Neto to force in a run and Mickey Moniak followed with an infield tapper in which he was thrown out at first as Ward crossed home to tie the score.
Starter Landon Knack pitched five scoreless innings for the Dodgers. The right-hander gave up two hits and two walks and struck out two.
Angels left-hander Patrick Sandoval exited the contest after 2 1/3 innings due to left forearm tightness. Sandoval gave up no runs, two hits and two walks and struck out one.
–Field Level Media
