LOS ANGELES — Freddie Freeman came up to bat in the bottom of the 9th inning of a scoreless battle between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Anaheim Angels, his walk off home run on a 3-2 count lifted the Dodgers to a 1-0 win at Chavez Ravine on Friday, June 5. Are the Dodgers have won all four matchups against the Angels this season.
Amazingly, the Dodgers remain the only team that’s yet to play extra innings this season. They have three walk-off wins this year and eight shutouts.
It was a pitchers duel between Roki Sasaki of the Boys in Blue and Reid Detmers of the Halos on this picturesque Summer night.
Detmers wound up limiting the Dodgers to just two hits and two walks over six scoreless innings. Not to be outdone, Sasaki fired seven shutout innings. He did so by setting a career high with 10 strikeouts.
Over his last four starts, Sasaki has a 1.48 ERA with 29 strikeouts and five walks.
The Angels swept the season series against the Dodgers in 2025, finishing with a perfect 6-0 record. This year, the two-time defending World Series champs are two victories away from sweeping the Angels in 2026.
Sasaki owes a debt of gratitude to the defense, Miguel Rojas made a bare handed snag while throwing out the runner in the third inning. In the sixth inning, Santiago Espinal made a diving stop at third base to keep the game scoreless.
It seemed as if we would be headed for extra innings until Freddie Freeman’s walk-off home run against former teammate Kirby Yates. It was Freeman’s eighth walk-off home run of his career when including the regular season and playoffs.
Freeman is one of the most clutch athletes in professional sports, ice in his veins as he always delivers in the biggest spots. Dodger stadium went bananas as the ball sailed over the centerfield wall.
Fans chanted “Freddie! Freddie!”
Angels slugger Mike Trout was hitless in four at-bats, and struck out three times. His former teammate, Shohei Ohtani, didn’t fare any better. The two-way superstar was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.
The Angels will try to salvage a much needed victory tomorrow, Angels RHP Jack Kochanowitz (2-4, 5.23 ERA) is set to start Saturday against Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (5-4, 2.86).
First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.
