After sending a surprising but powerful message to the baseball community: don’t count us out just yet, the Los Angeles Angels broadcast that four-word statement on social media.
After shocking the Dodgers with a three-game sweep over the weekend, the last-place Angels bravely won 6-4 at Dodger Stadium on Sunday to wrap off the series. A possible turning point in an otherwise dismal season, the sweep was the Angels’ first over their Southern California rivals since 2010.
Veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud remarked, “Every game was just a dogfight.” “We won all three games despite the intense pressure and playoff atmosphere.” Knowing we can defeat anyone boosts our confidence going forward.
The Angels bring out the brooms on the cross town rival Dodgers
The Angels seemed to be everything but bottom feeders, even though they had a 17–25 record going into the series and were far down in the AL West rankings. They hushed one of MLB’s most potent offenses, jumped early in each of the three games, and hit critical home runs. Long balls by Taylor Ward and Zach Neto, along with a tough bullpen performance, helped the defending champs lose the game on Sunday.
Before leaving due to an ankle injury, Yusei Kikuchi pitched five excellent innings for the Angels, striking out seven and giving up only one run. Despite having a 3.50 ERA after 10 starts, Kikuchi has yet to record a victory, but his performance provided the Angels with the much-needed buffer.
Shaun Anderson, playing for his tenth organization, locked it down in the final two innings—striking out Shohei Ohtani to end the game and complete the sweep—but the Angels didn’t bat an eye after Will Smith’s three-run homer tied the game 4–4 in the seventh. D’Arnaud, who had previously delivered an RBI single, responded with a game-winning solo shot in the eighth.
Regarding Anderson, Angels manager Ron Washington remarked, “He really saved us.” “He gave us that length, which is exactly what we needed him to do, and he did it.”
The tone was established on Friday when Jack Kochanowicz calmed a fiery Dodgers lineup. He suppressed a squad that had been scoring over eight runs per game in its last eighteen games by inducing four double plays and getting 14 ground ball outs in 6â…” innings.
The Dodgers never bounced back. The Angels outhit them 34-25 and outscored them 22-11 over the three-game series. They achieved this with aggressive base running, timely hitting, and a bullpen that held strong in the final moments of the series even though it had the worst ERA in baseball going into it.
“These guys come in every day and put in the work, but people only look at the record,” Anderson stated. “To sweep them demonstrates the capabilities of this clubhouse.”
The Angels could have completely changed the course of their 2025 season with a stunning sweep and newfound bravado.
