Dodgers Score 9 Runs in First Inning Against Angels

On Saturday, the Los Angeles Dodgers scored 9 runs in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels, marking their biggest scoring inning in five years. A 9-1 scoreline after the first frame appeared as an anomaly, as such a margin typically requires a full night of offense to establish. An early challenge arose when Angels' Oswald Peraza hit an RBI triple in the top half of the inning, but this brief setback was quickly overshadowed by the Dodgers' explosive response. By the time the Dodgers took the field for the second inning, they had already secured a commanding lead, ultimately winning the game 9-2.

This nine-run inning represented the highest-scoring frame for the Dodgers in 2026, coming after they previously scored six runs against the Cubs on April 25. It was also the largest first inning in Major League Baseball since August 1, 2025, when the Pittsburgh Pirates recorded nine runs against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. To find a comparable first inning in Dodgers’ franchise history, one would need to look back to June 2, 2021, when they scored 11 runs against the Cardinals.

The scoring sequence began with Shohei Ohtani hitting a leadoff infield single. Andy Pages followed with a significant two-run home run off an 89.6 mph changeup from Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz, sending a towering fly ball deep into the left field and landing in the Dodgers’ bullpen, where reliever Blake Treinen made a spectacular catch. "The homer by Andy to answer back was big," said manager Dave Roberts. "It kind of put to bed any type of momentum they had in the top of the first. And then after that, just the hits kept coming, just good at-bats."

Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts quickly extended the lead with back-to-back singles, then Max Muncy reached base on a comebacker that Kochanowicz mishandled. Ryan Ward followed with a double, bringing Freeman and Betts home. Roberts praised Ward, noting his confidence and relaxed demeanor since his promotion on May 29. "You lose an All-Star in [Teoscar] Hernández, but you get a guy who's been in our system an opportunity," Roberts added.

The Angels struggled to contain the mounting pressure, committing an error that allowed Muncy, Ward, and Dalton Rushing to score. "You can't give good teams extra outs," emphasized Roberts. "To give us extra outs just makes us really tough to beat. We stressed a starter and then got to their ’pen, which was good."

With a six-run lead established, Ohtani returned to the batter’s box and hit a two-run homer of his own, bringing his season total to 11 homers. This capped off a significant offensive stretch involving 11 batters. Following the first inning, the Dodgers did not score again but were able to rest key players, including Freeman, who was removed in the fourth for Miguel Rojas. "We went dormant after that," Roberts noted. "But I just thought it was great the way we answered in that first inning, and allowing us to get Freddie off of his feet for more than half the game was good."