Dodgers-Angels Ends in Tie Despite Poor Start From Roki Sasaki
It was a back-and-forth game at Dodger Stadium between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels that had a little bit of everything.
LOS ANGELES — For the first time since game five of the 2025 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers played a game at Dodger Stadium. Albeit not a game that counts towards the regular season, it's nonetheless something to cheer about. It turned out to be an uncanny outcome as this game ended in a 7-7 tie.
Before game two of this exhibition Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Angels took place, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said in the pregame that he needed to see Monday afternoon's starter, Roki Sasaki, in “compete mode. ” Well, Sasaki had a nightmare first inning to say the least. He began his outing by plunking Zach Neto on the forearm, and a groundout by Mike Trout led to a Miguel Rojas error.
Sasaki walked the next two batters, Nolan Schanuel and Jorge Soler, to drive in the Angels' first run. It snowballed even further as Sasaki walked Yoán Moncada for his third straight walk of the inning. By that time, Roberts had seen enough.
Roberts walked to the mound and pulled Sasaki after throwing 30 pitches, 13 of which were for strikes, and without recording a single out. Unfortunately, this hasn't been the first time, and wouldn't be the last time this spring, that Roberts has had to make that walk to the mound for Sasaki. Dave Roberts has pulled Roki Sasaki in the first inning without recording an out.