Angels suffer blowout to Dodgers in Kurt Suzuki's Big A debut as manager

The Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel (18) attempts a tag during a Spring Training Game against The Los Angeles Dodgers, March 22nd, 2026 in Anaheim, California. ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Los Angeles Angels returned to the Big A Sunday for the first game of the Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and while it may have still been a Spring Training game, it was also a return to a Major League stadium for both the team and manager Kurt Suzuki, though it was in a different capacity for Suzuki than what he's experienced before.

Suzuki was hired ahead of this season on a one-year contract to be the new Angels skipper. He's never managed before, but that doesn't mean he's been away from the Big Leagues very long. Suzuki was a player himself as recently as 2022.

He's relying on that recent playing experience to make up for his deficit in managerial experience when it comes to leading the Angels. "Just being out of the game just as recently as a few years ago, understanding the situations of the game, the speed of the game and all those types of things, I'm not saying it's going to be easy by any means, but the comfort of being in a Major League stadium, I can feel that," Suzuki said before the game. The Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) hits a single during a Spring Training Game against The Los Angeles Dodgers, March 22nd, 2026 in Anaheim, California.

Jon Bryan - The Sporting Tribune The Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) hits a single during a Spring Training Game against The Los Angeles Dodgers, March 22nd, 2026 in Anaheim, California. Suzuki went on to explain that he feels like his instincts will serve the Angels well when it comes to game-planning a situation. The human aspect that he plans on bringing to the game is something that has, in his opinion, been lost since the takeover of analytics.