Dodgers and Angels Set for First Freeway Series of the Year
The Los Angeles Dodgers welcome the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for the first Freeway Series of the year. The Dodgers will be coming into the series fresh off their series with the Athletics, as the series currently stands at one apiece, before the rubber match will be played tonight. The Angels will be coming off a series loss to the San Diego Padres. Both teams come in with opposite records in the month of May, with the Dodgers having a 7-5 record as of right now, while the Angels carry a 5-8 record.
Friday 5/16 - 7:10 p.m. PST
In the first matchup of the series, the Dodgers will roll out Tony Gonsolin. He has amassed a 2-0 record in three starts. The righty was impressive in his last start, going five innings and grabbing the win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Angels will throw out Jack Kochanowicz, who has struggled mightily this year. The second-year pitcher has accumulated a 2-5 record, with a 5.23 ERA this year. One final note, Gonsolin holds a perfect 3-0 record against the Angels, holding a 3.79 ERA.
Saturday 5/17 - 6:10 p.m. PST
Entering Saturday, the Dodgers will welcome back a staple in the organization, a legend in Clayton Kershaw. The future Hall of Famer will make his first start since August 30th of the 2024 season, where he pitched on the road against the Diamondbacks, going just one inning. Tyler Anderson will get the starting nod for the Angels. He has pitched to a 2-1 record, with a 2.58 ERA. The Dodgers have hit Anderson well throughout his career, as he has a 3-7 record with an ERA of 4.65; they’ll look to continue the dominance Saturday night.
Sunday 5/18 - 1:10 p.m. PST
In the final matchup of the series, the Dodgers will bring out Landon Knack in what will likely be a bullpen game. Knack struggled in his last start against the Athletics, where he pitched 4.2 innings, giving up seven hits, allowing five runs, but he did strike out eight. The start resulted in an 11-1 loss. For the Angels, the presumed ace of the team, Yusei Kikuchi, coming into the 2025 season, will get the start. Unfortunately, it has not looked that way as he holds a 0-4 record with a 3.72 ERA. The Dodgers get the opportunity to attack another pitcher they have had success against, as Kikuchi carries a 1-2 record with an ERA of 5.09 in four starts.
Tale of Two Sides on Offense
Coming into this series, both teams are on opposite sides of the offensive spectrum. The Dodgers hold the top spot in the MLB in most major statistics. One thing to note is that Shohei Ohtani faces off against his former squad since coming over from the Angels. In four games last year against them, he had a batting average of .286, with four hits, two of which were long balls. The Angels' offensive ranks round out to the 29th-ranked offense in the league. It has been a brutal year offensively, with Logan O’Hoppe and Taylor Ward being the lone bright spots in the lineup. It will be an interesting series, as the Freeway Series always brings special moments, but for the Dodgers, they look to continue their dominance in this series. They have gone 19-5 against the Angels since 2020.
