Photo: Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Dodgers will seek their second victory over the Angels in the Freeway Series Monday evening at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers won the opener of the three-game exhibition series 5-3 Sunday as their No. 9 hitter, Gavin Lux, singled in two runs during a four-run second inning in Shohei Ohtani's first game as a Dodger at Dodger Stadium. He was hitless in two at-bats.
Rookie right-hander Gavin Stone will pitch for the Dodgers Monday against left-hander Reid Detmers.
Stone is 3-0 with a 0.93 ERA in 9 2/3 innings in four spring training appearances, including three starts. He was 1-1 with one save and a 9.00 ERA in eight appearances, including four starts, in 2023 but is still considered a rookie.
Stone will also start Sunday's regular-season game against the St. Louis Cardinals, manager Dave Roberts said Sunday.
Detmers is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in four spring training starts. He was 4-10 with a 4.48 ERA in 28 starts last season, including two against the Dodgers where he was 0-1 with an 11.12 ERA, pitching seven shutout innings June 20 and allowing seven runs, all earned, in 3 1/3 innings July 8.
The Dodgers' broadcast of the 6:10 p.m. game will be on SportsNet LA while the Angels' broadcast will be on KCOP-TV Channel 13. The game will be on MLB.TV as part of its annual free preview, available to anyone with an MLB.com account.
Ohtani flew out to left fielder Taylor Ward in the first inning against right-hander Griffin Canning, drew a five-pitch walk from non-roster right-hander Hayden Seig in the second and struck out on a full count foul tip in the fourth against Canning, who returned to the game in the bottom of the third.
Trey Sweeney pinch-hit for Ohtani in the seventh.
This was the second time Ohtani faced the team he spent his first six seasons in the major leagues with before the Dodgers signed him to the largest contract in professional sports history. He was hitless in three at-bats, striking out twice, in a 4-0 loss March 5 in a spring-training game in Glendale, Arizona.
Ohtani is set to talk with reporters Monday for the first time since the Dodgers fired his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara amid allegations that Mizuhara stole millions of dollars from the Japanese slugger to place bets with a purported illegal bookmaker.
"I think it's good," Roberts said of Ohtani's forthcoming media availability -- which the manager insisted was entirely the two-way star's decision. "I think it's the right thing to do. I'm happy he's going to speak, speak to what he knows and give his thoughts on the whole situation. I think it'll give us a little bit more clarity."
Jason Heyward drove in Will Smith, who was hit by a pinch, with a two- out double for the first run. Lux followed with a single that drove in Max Muncy, who singled, and Heyward.
Mookie Betts hit the second pitch by Seig for a double, advancing Lux to third. A walk to Ohtani loaded the bases. Freddie Freeman walked on 10 pitches, forcing in Lux.
The Angels scored all their runs in the seventh. Zach Neto tripled in Ehire Adrianza, who singled with one out, and scored on Miguel Sanó's ground out. Jo Adell walked on seven pitches and scored on Jake Marsnick's double.
Sweeney doubled leading off the seventh, moved to third on Chris Taylor's ground out and scored on Kiké Hernandez's sacrifice fly for the Dodgers' fifth run.
Bobby Miller, the first of seven Dodger pitchers, was credited with the victory, pitching 4 2/3 shutout innings, allowing four hits, striking out five and walking one.
Non-roster rookie right-hander Kevin Gowdy was credited with the save, pitching a shutout ninth inning, allowing one hit and issuing one walk.
Canning was charged with the loss, allowing four runs and three hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out eight and walking two.
The Freeway Series -- the first time the Dodgers and Angels play in Southern California in 2024 -- is set to conclude Tuesday at Angel Stadium.