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The Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger follows through on a two-run home run during the first inning of Tuesday’s Freeway Series exhibition game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Angels starting pitcher Jose Quintana throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game, Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts connects on a solo home run during the first inning of Tuesday’s Freeway Series exhibition game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium. Betts homered twice in the Dodgers’ 6-4 win. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) leaps but can’t catch a home run ball from Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts during the first inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, center, signals at Mookie Betts, right, after Betts’ solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Justin Turner #10 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a double in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger rounds the bases on a two-run home run during the first inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his two run home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Albert Pujols #5 of the Los Angeles Angels makes a catch to get out Corey Seager #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels hits a single during the spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels hits a single in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Los Angeles Angels’ Jared Walsh, left, steals second base under Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Zach McKinstry during the sixth inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates his run in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Corey Seager hits a a double during the third inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a home run in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Corey Seager #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a double in the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a home run in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Dodgers’ Will Smith connects for a solo home run during the fifth inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Dodgers’ Will Smith rounds first base on a solo home run during the fifth inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani drops his bat as he singles during the first inning of a spring training exhibition baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday, March 30, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a home run in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Scott Schebler #44 of the Los Angeles Angels gets a strike in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Luke Raley #62 of the Los Angeles Dodgers makes the catch for an out against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Matt Beaty #45 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Scott Schebler #44 of the Los Angeles Angels blows a bubble during the spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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DJ Peters #70 of the Los Angeles Dodgers stands in the outfield during the spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate their 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game
on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) -
The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate their 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Zac Kristofak #93 of the Los Angeles Angels warms up ahead of the spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES ― At 23, Dodgers pitcher Dustin May is the same age as many seniors participating in this week’s NCAA basketball tournament. He has already started once on Opening Day (last year, as a last-minute substitute for Clayton Kershaw) and appeared in nine postseason games (including two in last year’s World Series). Yet he was not guaranteed to begin the 2021 season in the starting rotation.
That changed over the weekend.
In his final tuneup of spring training, May demonstrated why Manager Dave Roberts picked him as the Dodgers’ fifth starter ahead of David Price and Tony Gonsolin. He held the Angels’ probable Opening Day lineup to one run in 5⅓ innings on Tuesday night, and the Dodgers rolled to a 6-4 win in the Freeway Series finale.
Mookie Betts hit two home runs, and Will Smith and Cody Bellinger hit one each for the Dodgers (13-11-5). Angels starter Jose Quintana allowed seven hits – four home runs and three doubles – and six runs in five innings.
Phil Gosselin’s three-run home run in the ninth inning against Andre Jackson made the final margin of defeat close for the Angels (13-13-3).
May learned early in spring training that he, Price and Gonsolin were competing for the final spot in the rotation. Sunday, he learned he had won the job. In between, the 23-year-old right-hander said he focused on becoming a less predictable pitcher, with the goal of inducing weaker contact from opposing hitters.
Of May’s four strikeouts Tuesday, only one came on a four-seam fastball in the middle of the zone or higher. He froze Anthony Rendon on a low four-seamer. He caught David Fletcher looking at a two-seamer just below the kneecap. He spun a curveball that drew a half-swing from Albert Pujols as it plunged toward the earth for strike three.
“If you look at last year and his trek through the minor leagues, everything was hard: upper 90s, hard cutter, and didn’t really use the breaking ball or the changeup,” Roberts said. “Now the changeup, curveball is part of his arsenal, he’s comfortable, confident.”
The Dodgers had few last-minute roster decisions at stake in the Freeway Series. They finished the exhibition season relatively healthy. Their title defense begins on the road Thursday in Denver.
For the Angels, the Freeway Series was more eventful off the field than on; General Manager Perry Minasian acquired four relief pitchers after the team arrived home from Tempe. One of the pitchers, veteran right-hander Steve Cishek, tossed a scoreless seventh inning Tuesday. The other, Tony Watson, is one of two left-handers in a rebuilt bullpen along with Alex Claudio.
Closer Raisel Iglesias, Mike Mayers, Chris Rodriguez, Junior Guerra, and Aaron Slegers will round out the Angels’ new-look bullpen.
Quintana, the Angels’ fifth starter, finished an otherwise strong spring training on a down note.
“The ball’s not supposed to fly out of this ballpark,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “Every time they hit a ball in the air it was out.”
Shohei Ohtani returned to the lineup one day after he exited his final spring training game as a pitcher with a blister on his right middle finger. He collected a single in two at-bats. Seven other Angels had one hit apiece.
The Angels host the Chicago White Sox at Angel Stadium on Thursday night.
.@d_maydabeast talks post-game about being the #Dodgers fifth starter to begin the year. pic.twitter.com/V9Z3Fe3V6b
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) March 31, 2021
Start it off, @mookiebetts! pic.twitter.com/RvWmWjDdMf
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) March 31, 2021
Belli in midseason form.
pic.twitter.com/rk4x37Tr9N
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) March 31, 2021
Two-homer night for Mookie!
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) March 31, 2021
Another night, another homer for @will_smith30.
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) March 31, 2021
3-RUN HOME RUN FOR PHILLLLLY G
— Bally Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) March 31, 2021
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