Roki Sasaki had a career-high 10 strikeouts and Freddie Freeman crushed a game-ending home run in the ninth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled out a 1-0 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Friday.
Blake Treinen (3-1) recorded one out in the top of the ninth inning as the Dodgers improved to 10-3 since May 23 and 4-0 against the Angels this season.
Freeman hit a 3-2 fastball from former Dodgers right-hander Kirby Yates (0-2) for his 10th of the season, a 404-foot blast over the wall in right-center.
Sasaki gave up no runs, two hits and two walks over a career-high-tying seven innings. The right-hander threw seven innings of one-run ball in a May 17 win over the Angels, when he set his previous career best in strikeouts with eight.
Angels left-hander Reid Detmers matched Sasaki in a pitchers’ duel, allowing two hits over six scoreless innings with two walks and six strikeouts. Mike Trout went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts as the Angels lost for the fourth time in their past five games.
The Angels are tied for the worst record in the major leagues at 24-40, while the Dodgers have the second-best record at 41-23.
The contest was the opener of a three-game series.
The Dodgers did not collect their first hit until Freeman singled with one out in the fourth inning. The Angels recorded their first hit on Nick Madrigal’s double with one out in the fifth inning.
Angels right-hander Chase Silseth replaced Detmers in the seventh inning and gave up a walk but nothing else. Right-hander Sam Bachman followed with a scoreless eighth.
Dodgers right-hander Edgardo Henriquez followed Sasaki with a scoreless eighth inning.
The Angels’ Jo Adell singled with one out in the ninth against left-hander Tanner Scott and went to second on a sacrifice bunt from Donovan Walton before Oswald Peraza grounded out against Treinen.
