Angels walk off Dodgers in 10th inning as NL West lead evaporates

ANAHEIM — The Angels’ surprising mastery over the Dodgers continued in dramatic fashion.

Just after Shohei Ohtani put the Dodgers on top with a home run in the top of the ninth, the Angels came back to tie the score in the bottom of the inning and won it, 7-6, in 10 innings on Tuesday night, ending an emotional rollercoaster for everyone in the Angel Stadium sellout crowd of 44,741.

Jo Adell bounced a single over the drawn-in infield in the 10th, giving the Angels their ninth walk-off victory of the season and dropping the Dodgers into a tie with the surging San Diego Padres atop the NL West.

The Angels have beaten the Dodgers in all five of their meetings this season, stretching their winning streak in the Freeway Series to six games, including last year. It equals their longest winning streak in the series, a streak that stretched from 2003 to 2004.

This one included the eighth triple play in franchise history – against Ohtani, of all people – and a dramatic comeback.

After Ohtani’s homer against Kenley Jansen put the Dodgers ahead 6-5 in the top of the ninth, the Angels got the run back in the bottom of the inning.

Dodgers left-hander Alex Vesia gave up a hit to Luis Rengifo and then he walked Logan O’Hoppe after getting ahead of him, 0-and-2. After a Bryce Teodosio sacrifice, an intentional walk to Zach Neto and a Nolan Schanuel fly ball, the score was tied.

Connor Brogdon – who was briefly a Dodger – set his former team down in the order in the top of the 10th, preventing the free runner from scoring.

In the bottom of the inning, Christian Moore dropped down a perfect bunt. Catcher Will Smith waited for it roll foul, but it stopped on the line and Moore had a hit.

With the infield playing in, Adell hit a bouncer over the head of third baseman Max Muncy, ending the game. Adell’s teammates mobbed him at first as the Angels (58-62) celebrated.

The rally spoiled Ohtani’s 43rd homer of the season, which was his fourth straight game with a homer. It was also his 101st career homer at the ballpark that he used to call home.

The Angels were able to hang around in the game because they were able to escape jams, none more dramatically than in the sixth inning.

With the score tied at 5-all, the Dodgers were rallying against Angels left-hander Brock Burke, who gave up singles to Miguel Rojas and Daulton Rushing to start the inning.

Ohtani then hit a soft liner up the middle, where shortstop Zach Neto grabbed it a couple of steps behind the bag. He stepped on second for the second out and threw to first baseman Nolan Schanuel, who tagged Rushing to complete the triple play.

It was the eighth triple play in Angels history, their first since 2023.

In the previous inning the Dodgers had another chance to break the game open, when they loaded the bases with two outs.

Andy Pages drew a walk to push home the tying run, but then Michael Conforto struck out. Conforto is 12 for 77 (.156) with 18 strikeouts and 18 RBIs with runners in scoring position this season.

It was the fifth time in the past three games that the Dodgers loaded the bases, and the only two runs they got out of those were on walks.

The bullpens were more effective than the two starters, who combined to give up eight runs.

The Angels tagged Dodgers starter Emmett Sheehan for five runs, equaling the most he’s allowed in any of his eight games this season.

In the first inning, the Angels scored three times, on RBI hits from Taylor Ward and Yoán Moncada and then an Adell grounder.

Ward hit a homer in the third, his team-leading 28th of the season. Ward is now up to 89 RBIs, seeking to become the first Angels player to pair 30 homers with 100 RBIs since … Shohei Ohtani in 2021.

The Angels gave the ball to right-hander Victor Mederos, whose first major league start came because of Tyler Anderson’s stiff back.

Mederos was working on just three days of rest after a 52-pitch outing on Friday at Triple-A, so the Angels had a short leash on him.

Mederos had some control issues – three walks and a hit batter – and he left an 0-and-2 changeup over the plate for Rushing to hit a two-run homer in the second.

After the homer, Mederos gave up just a single and a walk in the second time through the lineup, before yielding to the bullpen as the Dodgers brought their trio of MVPs to the plate for the third time.

More to come on this story.