Friday, June 21, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
On a hot summer Friday night at Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels renewed the freeway series. Landon Knack returned to the major leagues and pitched five scoreless innings. Shohei Ohtani hit a 455-foot two-run homer. Ryan Yarbrough had a problem with control allowing two runs in the sixth. The rest of the bullpen was brilliant. If baseball didn’t place a runner at second base, the Dodgers wouldn’t have lost. The Dodgers lost in ten innings to the Angels 3-to-2.
Before the game, the Dodgers put Max Muncy on the 60-day IL with an oblique strain. The Dodgers won’t have Muncy until after the All-Star break. When he became injured, he was on a pace to hit 35 home runs. The Dodgers miss him offensively.
Landon Knack, promoted before the game from Oklahoma City, allowed a single with an out and two bases. Knack pitched a scoreless first inning.
Shohei Ohtani walked to lead off the first. Teoscar Hernandez hit into a force play. Freddie Freeman hit into a double play.
Knack hurled a perfect second inning.
With two outs in the second, Miguel Vargas singled and stole second.
Knack was still dominating since his last major league start on May 18th. Despite a two-out walk, Knack pitched a scoreless third. He belongs in the major leagues full-time.
Chris Taylor started the third with a single. Taylor moved to second on Austin Barnes’ grounder. Ohtani walked. The Angels’ starter must leave the game with a forearm injury.
Thanks to great defense, Knack pitched a perfect fourth.
Knack was great for five innings and deserved another major league start.
With two outs in the fifth, Barnes singled. Ohtani blasted a two-run homer.
Ryan Yarbrough relieved Knack in the sixth by plunking a batter and allowing a single. Yarbrough allowed the Angels to tie the game when he hit two more batters.
Yarbrough continued pitching in the seventh and pitched a scoreless inning.
Yohan Ramirez plunked a batter to start the eighth but struck out the side.
With an out in the eighth, Ohtani had an infield single and was caught stealing.
Anthony Banda was perfect in the ninth.
In the tenth, Banda continued pitching but after one out was relieved by Evan Phillips. Phillips allowed the run-scoring single.
