It’s hardly a rivalry.
The Los Angeles Angels lost 5-10 on the road to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2023 Major League Baseball World Series on 9 September at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA. They were hit by five home runs and never got back up. The Angels are now mired in a 10-game losing streak against the Dodgers.
The series between the Angels and Dodgers is called the Freeway Series. That’s because the 5 freeway runs between the Anaheim-based Angels and the Los Angeles-based Dodgers. Despite being in different leagues, the teams play a fixed match every year. This has created a sense of rivalry among fans.
However, the Angels are hardly a rival to the Dodgers. The Dodgers, the most prestigious club in Major League Baseball, have a better record than the Angels, and the Dodgers have an absolute advantage in the head-to-head series. In their four meetings this year, the Angels have been unable to get past the Dodgers and have lost 10 straight.
While the Angels were swept by the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani shined. He went 4-for-7 with a home run, a double, a home run, a walk, three RBIs and two runs scored in Game 2 of the road series. On the ninth, he came up two bases short of a cycling hit.
The Angels are virtually a one-man team for Ohtani. It was evident in the game against the Dodgers. His teammates couldn’t even make basic plays. In the second inning, with runners on second and third, Reed Detmer singled to left field off Will Smith. Left fielder Joe Adel made the catch and threw home, but the ball slipped out of his hand and flew out of the catcher’s reach. The pitchers were mauled by the Dodgers’ bats, which pounded out five home runs.온라인바카라
Ohtani is eligible for free agency after this season. There’s been a lot of talk about his future, and with Ohtani expressing a strong desire to win a championship after last season, a move is becoming a foregone conclusion. While Ohtani has been in an Angels uniform since 2018 and continues to make history, the team has yet to reach the postseason, let alone the World Series.
The Angels would have to win a ticket to fall ball to win Ohtani’s heart. But the Angels have won 45 games and lost 46. They’re in fourth place in the American League West. The Angels are also out of the postseason wild card picture.
Aside from the Angels’ record, Ohtani has been dominant in the circle. As a pitcher, he went 7-4 with a 3.32 ERA in 100 1/3 innings in 17 games, and as a hitter, he finished the first half with a .302 batting average, .663 on-base percentage, and 1.050 slugging percentage (OPS) in 89 games. Ohtani has been struggling on his own. What must have been going through his mind as he watched his teammates’ subpar performances against the Dodgers.