The Los Angeles Angels delivered a resounding shock to the baseball world over the weekend, sweeping the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game Freeway Series at Dodger Stadium, capped by a 6-4 victory on Sunday, May 18, 2025. The Angels, who entered the series with a 17-25 record and last in the AL West, celebrated with a cheeky social media post—“Break out the brooms!!!”—marking their first sweep of the Dodgers since 2010. The series win, outscoring their rivals 22-11 and outhitting them 34-25, showcased a gritty, playoff-like intensity that could signal a turning point for the Halos.
Friday’s opener set the tone, with Jack Kochanowicz stifling the Dodgers’ offense—averaging nearly 8 runs per game over their prior 18 contests—by inducing four double plays and securing 14 ground-ball outs over 6⅔ innings. The Angels continued their dominance through the weekend, with timely hitting and aggressive base running. Sunday’s finale saw Zach Neto and Taylor Ward launch crucial homers, while Yusei Kikuchi gave 5⅔ solid innings, striking out 7 despite exiting with an ankle injury. After Will Smith’s three-run homer tied the game at 4-4 in the seventh, Travis d’Arnaud’s go-ahead solo shot in the eighth and Shaun Anderson’s clutch relief—striking out Shohei Ohtani to end it—sealed the sweep.
“It was just a dogfight every single game,” d’Arnaud told reporters, emphasizing the playoff atmosphere. “It’s very good for our confidence moving forward, knowing we can beat anybody.” Anderson, who earned the save, echoed the sentiment, noting, “People only look at the record, but these guys come in every day and put in the work.” The bullpen, despite entering with the league’s worst ERA at 5.12, held firm, with Anderson’s two innings proving pivotal. Manager Ron Washington praised Anderson’s effort, saying, “He really saved us… We needed him to do exactly what he did.”
The Angels’ sweep, their first against the Dodgers since June 11-13, 2010, comes at a critical juncture as they sit at 20-25, still last in their division but now showing signs of life. The Dodgers, now 29-17, were humbled by their crosstown rivals, who played with a chip on their shoulder. With the Angels’ next series against the Padres starting Tuesday, May 20, at 9:38 PM ET on Bally Sports West, this newfound swagger could propel them forward. For a team often counted out, this weekend proved they’re capable of competing with the best—a narrative shift that might just redefine their 2025 season.
