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Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe’s instant reaction to game-winning hit vs. Dodgers
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- Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe’s instant reaction to game-winning hit vs. Dodgers
The post Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe's instant reaction to game-winning hit vs. Dodgers appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Logan O'Hoppe stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning on Wednesday night with the bases loaded, two outs, and the game tied. The Los Angeles Angels ' catcher had been searching for a moment like this for weeks, and he found it — delivering a clutch two-run single that lifted the Angels to a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers and completed a stunning season sweep of their crosstown rivals.
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"It's a lot. It's what I've wanted for a while," O'Hoppe said after the win. "Obviously the past couple of months haven't felt right. I felt like after I fouled that heater back, I got a wave of confidence that I hadn't had in a couple weeks. I'm happy I got it." The go-ahead hit came on a two-strike, 103.2 mph fastball from Dodgers reliever Edgardo Henriquez . O'Hoppe stayed on it and lined it into right field, igniting the sold-out Angel Stadium crowd.
With the win, the Angels swept the season Freeway Series for the first time in franchise history, going 6-0 against the defending World Series champions. It was also their first three-game sweep of the Dodgers at Angel Stadium since May 2007. Despite entering the game under .500, the Angels continued their improbable dominance over their rivals . They overcame an early 5-2 deficit and got key contributions from Taylor Ward — who homered for the fourth time against the Dodgers this season — and rookie Bryce Teodosio , who robbed Andy Pages of a two-run homer in the seventh with a leaping catch at the right-center fence.
Angels sweep the Dodgers in Freeway Series for the first time in 18 years
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
This game also marked Shohei Ohtani 's first time pitching against his former team. The two-way superstar, who left the Angels last year in free agency to sign with the Dodgers, struck out former teammate Mike Trout twice and notched seven strikeouts overall.
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Ohtani pitched a season-high 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on five hits, including Ward's solo homer in the second inning. He exited in the fifth after Zach Neto 's two-run double cut the Dodgers' lead to one.
The loss extended the Dodgers' losing streak to four games and dropped them out of first place in the NL West for the first time since April 27. Six weeks ago, they held a nine-game lead in the division, but after losing 21 of their last 33 games, they now trail the San Diego Padres by a game.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts emphasized staying level ahead of a crucial weekend series with San Diego : "It's big, but it kind of is what it is… We have to just look at it as the same game as today and play our game and not try to get too high or too low."
For the Angels, O'Hoppe's heroics and the sweep over the Dodgers provided a surge of confidence. They remain within striking distance of the AL Wild Card race, sitting five games back. Interim manager Ray Montgomery praised his team's fight, noting that facing Ohtani added an emotional edge to the series.
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Closer Kenley Jansen , who recorded the save against his former team, hopes the momentum carries forward: "It's great to sweep them, but I want to get to the postseason… that's the same energy we've got to have the rest of the way."
For O'Hoppe, though, the night was about more than standings or streaks — it was about rediscovering the confidence that had eluded him in recent weeks, and delivering in the kind of moment he'd been waiting for.
Related: Dodgers fans are buzzing after first Shohei Ohtani-Mike Trout MLB matchup
