Steve Webb
Game 139, 9/3/2024: Dodgers 6, Angels 2
ANAHEIM, CA — Shohei Ohtani‘s return to Angel Stadium in Anaheim was the headline story on Tuesday night, as the former Angels superstar faced his old team for the first time in the regular season since joining the Dodgers in the offseason. All eyes were on Ohtani, who was greeted with both cheers and boos as he stepped onto the field as a Dodger. However, it was Mookie Betts who stole the show and delivered the game’s most pivotal moment, securing a dramatic 6-2 victory for the Dodgers in extra innings.
The game was tightly contested from the start, with the Angels taking an early lead thanks to a solo home run by Logan O’Hoppe in the second inning and another by Taylor Ward in the fifth. However, overall, starter Walker Buehler continues to show signs of life as he works his way back from the second Tommy John. His line for a decent start, the first that made it through five innings since his return from the IL: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K.
The Dodgers, however, were not to be undone by a couple of solo shots. The comeback began in the third when Ohtani, who was 1-for-4 on the night, had his big moment. He ripped an RBI triple into the corner, bringing Miguel Rojas home to tie the game at 1-1. Moments later, Mookie Betts had his first big moment of the night when he drove in Ohtani with a first-pitch single, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.
After Ward’s game-tying home run, the stage was set for a tense and scoreless battle that lasted into extra innings. The Dodgers were not able to solve Reid Detmers all night as the lefty racked up ten strikeouts before exiting the game after six. Meanwhile, all Dodger relievers were nails in this one, with Daniel Hudson, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, and Michael Kopech each hanging a zero on the scoreboard. It was on to extras.
The tenth started with a little small ball. Max Muncy moved the free runner to third with a productive out, and Miguel Rojas delivered a tie-breaking single to left. With the score now 3-2, Gavin Lux grounded out, but moved pinch runner Kevin Kiermaier to second, which set up the heroics to come.
The spotlight was now on Ohtani with a runner on second base. Angels’ skipper Ron Washington put up four fingers and chose to intentionally walk Ohtani rather than face him with reliever Roansy Contreras. The strategy backfired spectacularly.
With two outs and runners on first and second, Betts stepped up to the plate. On the first pitch of the at-bat, he got a hanging slider and crushed the pitch for a three-run home run to left-center field, silencing the Angel Stadium crowd (the Angel fans, anyway) and giving the Dodgers a 6-2 lead. The Angels were unable to recover, as Ryan Brasier came in to close the game for the Dodgers, securing the win.
Ohtani’s return to Anaheim was memorable, but Betts ensured that the night belonged to him and the Dodgers. Betts finished the game 2-for-5 with four RBIs, including the game-winning home run that capped off a thrilling and emotional night.
This two-gamer wraps up on Thursday before the Dodgers head home for a date with the AL Central leading Cleveland Guardians this weekend. But first, Bobby Miller will have a chance to build on the solid start that he had last time around against the Orioles. He’ll lock horns with righty Griffin Canning (4-12, 5.19 ERA, 106 SO), so the Dodgers look to fill up the lineup with lefthanded hitters as the Dodgers try to finish up the road trip on an up note. Game time will be 6:40 PDT.
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