Dodgers' pitching, defense shuts out Angels again

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Field Level Media
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Jun 21, 2023; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels third baseman Luis Rengifo (2) is tagged out at home plate by Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) in the third inning at Angel Stadium.
Jun 21, 2023; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels third baseman Luis Rengifo (2) is tagged out at home plate by Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) in the third inning at Angel Stadium.
Image: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Seven Dodgers relievers combined to throw a two-hit shutout, out-pitching the Angels' Shohei Ohtani in a 2-0 Dodgers victory Wednesday night in Anaheim, Calif

Ohtani (6-3) struck out 12 batters in seven innings but allowed a solo home run to Freddie Freeman in the fourth inning, the only run he allowed in the game.

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Dodgers shortstop Miguel Vargas was hitless in 24 at-bats when he came to the plate in the eighth inning and hit a home run off Angels reliever Aaron Loup for a 2-0 lead

The Angels went scoreless in the two-game series, shut out by the same 2-0 score on Tuesday. Also like Tuesday, they had a runner thrown out at the plate in Wednesday's game

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With one out and Luis Rengifo (double) on third base in the third inning, Mickey Moniak hit a soft liner to shallow left field, where David Peralta made the catch. Rengifo tagged and tried to score, but Peralta made a perfect throw with catcher Will Smith applying the tag.

Rengifo had both of the Angels' two hits, while Ohtani went 0-for-3 with a walk at the plate

Ohtani allowed only one Dodger to reach base through the first three innings as Jason Heyward legged out an infield single in the second inning. In the fourth, Freeman hit Ohtani's second pitch of the inning over the fence in left-center for his 14th home run of the season and a 1-0 Dodgers lead

Before the game, the Dodgers called up pitcher Michael Grove, who was expected to start the game. Instead, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided to go with a bullpen game, sending reliever Brusdar Graterol to the mound for the first inning

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Graterol pitched two scoreless innings, and he was followed by Victor Gonzalez (2-2) and Yency Almonte, each of whom threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Almonte retired the first two Angels hitters in the fifth before Rengifo singled, his second hit of the night

Almonte was replaced by Alex Vesia, who walked Andrew Velazquez, moving Rengifo to second. But Vesia retired pinch hitter Hunter Renfroe on a fly ball to end the threat.

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Ryan Brasier threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and he was followed by Caleb Ferguson (eighth inning) and Evan Phillips (ninth inning, ninth save) to close it out.

--Field Level Media