As I drove past the “Big A” at Angel Stadium visible from the 57 freeway in late March, I couldn’t help but notice the digital sign advertising an upcoming March 27 exhibition between the Angels and Dodgers. The two teams have made a tradition of facing each other in late March. These matchups are classified as Spring Training but take place in their home ballparks rather than at training sites in Arizona. Tim Kepler, who regularly sings the national anthem before Anaheim Ducks games, was on hand for this contest as well.
Aside from a way to see the Dodgers without enduring the logistical chaos of a trip to Chavez Ravine, this game was also reasonably priced. That allowed me to sit with Dorina in the club level. For a regular season Freeway Series encounter, such tickets would fetch top dollar. The Dodgers had defeated the Angels in Los Angeles the night before, and round two was about to begin.
Mike Trout wasted no time, hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. I also noticed that the auxiliary press box near our seats was full of Japanese reporters covering the exploits of two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who collected a pair of hits before giving way for pinch runner Andre Jackson in the sixth inning.
A Taylor Ward solo homer and run-scoring single from Brandon Drury gave the Angels a 4-0 edge in the third. It was a rough start for new Dodger Noah Syndergaard, who made his name with the Mets.
The Dodgers hit four long balls of their own to make things interesting. Facing former Dodger Tyler Anderson, Mookie Betts smashed his third of the spring during the fourth inning. That finally allowed fans clad in blue to celebrate.
Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor also went yard. Luke Williams, off to a fine start for Oklahoma City at the AAA level, took José Quijada deep in the eighth inning.
Because this game didn’t count in the standings, Angels managers Phil Nevin and Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts had expanded rosters at their disposal. That led to a lot of substitutions and pitching changes. Syndergaard walked in a run during the sixth stanza, but the next five Dodger hurlers prevented any more scoring. Nevertheless, the final tally was 5-4 in favor of the squad from Anaheim after César Valdez nailed down the save.
While this game lacked the atmosphere of the World Baseball Classic’s late stages, it was a nice warmup for the regular season. Trout must be pleased to no longer be hitting against Ohtani this year, but I can’t help but wonder whether they will remain teammates beyond 2023.
The Dodgers also face questions a season removed from winning 111 games before falling to San Diego in the Division Series. With starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin injured to begin the year and infielder Gavin Lux out for the season among other setbacks, Roberts figures to be tested throughout the campaign.
I very much enjoyed this baseball card display in the club level hallway. In any event, I now have more than cardboard and sporadic transactions to occupy my seamhead mind. Especially since the largely fanless 2020 season, being at the ballpark is not something I take for granted. Baseball has been a comfort throughout my life, and I can’t wait to see what the coming months bring to fans.