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Taylor Ward (3) and José Iglesias (4) of the Angels celebrate after Ward hit a home tun in the 8th inning to win the game against the Dodgers during a Freeway Series exhibition game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, March 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Cody Bellinger (35) and Max Muncy (13) of the Dodgers celebrate after Muncy hit a 2-run home run in the second inning against the Angels during a Freeway Series exhibition game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, March 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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James Pazos (47) of the Dodgers pitches against the Angels during a Freeway Series exhibition game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, March 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Tony Gonsolin (26) of the Dodgers pitches against the Angels during a Freeway Series exhibition game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, March 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Max Muncy (13) of the Dodgers points upward after hitting a home run in 5th inning against the Angels during a Freeway Series exhibition game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, March 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Griffin Canning (47) of the Angels pitches against the Dodgers during a Freeway Series exhibition game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, March 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Patrick Sandoval (43) of the Angels pitches against the Dodgers during a Freeway Series exhibition game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, March 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Gus Varland (96) of the Dodgers pitches against the Angels during a Freeway Series exhibition game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, March 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Griffin Canning (47) of the Angels pitches against the Dodgers during a Freeway Series exhibition game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, March 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Angels’ pitcher Andrew Heaney (28) pitches against the Dodgers during a Freeway Series exhibition game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, March 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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David Fletcher (22) of the Angels is forced out at second as Corey Seager (5) of the Dodgers makes the throw to first for the double play during a Freeway Series exhibition game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, March 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
ANAHEIM ― Players, umpires, official scorers, public-address announcers and everyone else inside a mostly empty Angel Stadium had one thing in common Sunday. They only have a couple more days to use “it’s only spring training” as a valid excuse.
The hallmarks of regular-season baseball were hard to miss in the Freeway Series opener. Two teams that figure to rely heavily on home runs combined to hit six. The lineups, save for the Dodgers’ last-minute substitution of DJ Peters for AJ Pollock, had a distinctively regular-season feel. Only the ending was weird.
When Taylor Ward pummeled a Garrett Cleavinger fastball over the right-center field display in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Dodgers’ fielders meandered awkwardly around the field. Ward circled the bases dutifully. No teammates greeted him at home plate, and only Jose Iglesias jumped out of the Angels’ dugout with the vigor worthy of a walk-off home run.
The game was scheduled to last eight innings. The celebration of the Angels’ 6-5 win was as mute as the stadium itself.
“The old eighth-inning walk-off home run,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s beautiful, right?”
Ward did not start the game but he collected two hits in two plate appearances, including the game-winner. Mike Trout went 2 for 3 and hit a two-run single against Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin. Juan Lagares hit the Angels’ other home run, a solo blast against James Pazos in the seventh inning to tie the game at 5.
Max Muncy hit two home runs for the Dodgers (11-11-5), who host the final two games of the series beginning Monday. Corey Seager and Gavin Lux, both left-handed hitters, each homered against Angels southpaw Andrew Heaney. Fourteen of the Dodgers’ 24 outs came via strikeout.
The Angels (13-11-3) will send Shohei Ohtani to the mound against Julio Urías Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
Gonsolin, who is in the running for the final spot in the Dodgers’ rotation, didn’t allow an earned run through the first three innings. He allowed eight hits, walked three batters, and struck out six in 3 2/3 innings.
“I feel like I’m ready for whatever role they put me in,” Gonsolin said.
Down 4-0 on the home runs by Muncy, Seager and Lux, the Angels got on the board in the third inning when Seager allowed an Albert Pujols ground ball to bounce into left field, scoring two.
The Angels tied the game at 4 on Trout’s bases-loaded, two-run single in the fourth inning. Gonsolin faced two more batters before reaching his limit at 86 pitches. Manager Dave Roberts hoped the right-hander could complete five innings, but he went to his bullpen in the fourth.
Maddon went to his bullpen even sooner than Roberts, pulling Heaney after 2 2/3 innings. Griffin Canning pitched two innings and allowed the last of Muncy’s two home runs. Patrick Sandoval, Mike Mayers and Raisel Iglesias each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
If Sunday’s barrage was no fluke, it seems the Dodgers and Angels managed to pack the desert air into the moving van and bring it with them from Arizona.
“Typically the ball carries more in Arizona,” Roberts said. “At sea level the ball tends to move a little bit more as far as spin, so I thought it played true today from that sense. We’ll know more the next couple days at Dodger Stadium. Then we’re going to altitude at Colorado. That should play differently as well.”
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