Dodgers rout Angels in emergency bullpen game…
Andy Pages bought a sunflower seed bathe. Then, he delivered another one himself.
In a 6-0 win over the Angels on Friday night time, the Dodgers’ third-straight victory was keyed by two big swings.
Pages had the first, ambushing a 3-0 fastball from Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz for a three-run homer in the top of the fourth inning. Moments later, Max Muncy delivered the other, crushing an 0-2 mistake that Kochanowicz left over the plate to make it back-to-back long balls with a solo drive to proper.
Andy Pages belts a three-run homers in the fourth inning of the Dodgers’ 6-0 highway win over the Angels on May 15, 2026 in Anaheim, Calif. William Liang-Imagn Images
As Pages returned to the dugout following his trot around the bases, he bought a customary seed bathe from teammate Teoscar Hernández –– who has made the celebration a staple since arriving in Los Angeles three years in the past.
But with Hernández on deck when Muncy went deep, it was Pages’ flip to deal with the honors, grabbing a bag of seeds himself and tossing them in Muncy’s face as he got here back off the sector.
“He’s going to have my job when I’m not here,” Hernández joked of Pages’ seed-throwing type. “So it is getting better.”
The scene represented an uplifting flip on what began as a darkish day for the Dodgers (27-18), who positioned scheduled beginning pitcher Blake Snell on the injured record pregame with unfastened our bodies in his elbow that may require surgical procedure.
Snell’s injury is the third the Dodgers have suffered to a star pitcher in the last month (after Edwin Díaz and Tyler Glasnow). It leaves them concerningly skinny on depth as they fight to emerge from a month-long droop.
“It seems like every year we go through it,” supervisor Dave Roberts said of the sudden deluge of pitching accidents. “What I have learned is, we get through it.”
The easiest method to do so this time: More offensive performances such as Friday’s.
Thanks to a third home run in the sixth inning from Hernández –– who snapped a month-long homer drought by driving a two-run blast the other means –– the Dodgers eclipsed the six-run mark for only the fifth time in their last 23 video games.
It gave their pitching workers a lot of respiratory room in what grew to become an emergency bullpen game.
And it served as the latest encouraging signal that they’re starting to rediscover better type at the plate.
“The at-bats are getting better throughout this week,” Hernández said.
Given the staff’s pitching scenario, not a second too soon either.
What it means
The Dodgers don’t need to go with bullpen video games recurrently this 12 months.
But when they need to, as Friday confirmed, it isn’t always the worst tactic.
Dodgers starter Will Klein, who pitched two scoreless innings, was one of eight pitchers to clean the Angels. AP
Eight different Dodgers pitchers mixed for the membership’s fifth shutout this 12 months, limiting the Angels to just two hits while placing out a mixed 11 batters.
It began with two scoreless innings from Will Klein, who retired his first 5 batters before stranding a couple runners in the second. Edgardo Henriquez and Blake Treinen then adopted with 1-2-3 frames, retaining the Angels quiet as the Dodgers constructed their lead.
Wyatt Mills and Kyle Hurt both labored around walks in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively. Alex Vesia negated a seventh-inning single by placing out his other three batters. Jack Dreyer and Charlie Barnes (a latest waiver declare who was called up in Snell’s place pregame) dealt with the ultimate six outs.
It was the latest standout efficiency from a Dodgers aid corps that has a top-10 ERA in the majors this 12 months.
It was also considerably historic; marking only the tenth time in MLB’s fashionable period (since 1901) that membership pitched a shutout utilizing at least eight pitchers.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better situation tonight,” Roberts said. “It was good to see a few of the guys break out.”
Who’s sizzling
We coated Hernández (who is 9-for-19 in his last 5 video games with 4 extra-base hits) in this space last night time.
So, let’s go with Pages.
Entering Friday, the third-year slugger was in a lull, held without a hit in his last 13 at-bats. But with his score-opening home run, he continued to construct on his strong total start to the season –– persevering with to be the Dodgers’ most constant, and clutch, hitter.
Pages’ big fly was his tenth of the 12 months, trailing only Muncy (who has 12) for most on the staff.
Andy Pages celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run homer in the fourth inning of the Dodgers win over the Angels. William Liang-Imagn Images
It also put him back in a tie for the MLB lead in RBIs with 38, while serving to him end the night time with a .305 batting average (Eleventh-best in the National League) and .893 OPS (which ranks twelfth).
Who’s not
Plain and simple, the Angels.
Since an encouraging 11-10 start to the season, the staff has dropped 19 of its last 24 video games. At 16-29 total, they now own the worst report in the majors.
Before the game, supervisor Kurt Suzuki was requested if the membership’s latest droop was merely in a run-of-the-mill “cold stretch” –– or one thing more reflective of the state of an group that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2014.
Suzuki insisted it was the previous, arguing that “there are a lot of games where we’re in it; we’re one swing away, maybe one pitch away, one out away.”
Angels supervisor Kurt Suzuki said he believes his struggling staff will flip it around. Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
“We’re gonna turn this around,” he added.
Either he was operating cowl for his bosses, or helplessly kidding himself.
Regardless, a franchise that has never before misplaced 100 video games is nicely on its means to doing so proper now. The “cold stretch,” unsurprisingly, continues.
Up next
The Dodgers might be going for only their second collection win in the last three weeks on Saturday, when Justin Wrobleski (5-1, 2.42 ERA) faces breakout right-hander José Soriano (6-2, 1.66).
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