The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and the sweet taste of victory—especially against your crosstown rivals—are what baseball fantasies are made of. There is always an extra buzz around the Freeway Series between the Angels and the Dodgers. But the most recent May’s battle had an impact that sent shockwaves through Major League Baseball. This was especially notable because the Halos entered with a challenging 17-25 record and were without their superstar, Mike Trout.
From May 16 to May 18, the Los Angeles Angels pulled off an amazing three-game sweep of the Dodgers in Dodger Stadium. This masterclass was their first of its kind against the Boys in Blue since 2010. The series opened with a 6-2 Angels victory, followed by a slugfest where they outlasted the Dodgers 11-9. They sealed the series with a crushing 6-4 victory, and after outscoring their LA neighbours with an average of over seven runs a game, the Dodgers are still left looking for answers.
This unexpected dominance didn’t go unnoticed. MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM highlighted the Angels’ performance, with analyst Xavier Scruggs weighing in. He remarked, “I will actually give more credit to the Angels and what they did offensively… You needed guys to put some runs on the board and they did it early. And to beat the Dodgers, you gotta score early. They did that with the Zac Neto’s home run and with Taylor Ward’s homer. So, I’ll give this offense credit because we’re not gonna give them credit as much as we should. But doin’ with without Mike Trout and sweeping these Dodgers, they really must’ve angels in the outfield.”
Scruggs’ eyes were truly glued to the screen, witnessing the Angels securing a 3-0 series record against the star-studded Dodgers. And he was especially impressed with them pulling this without Trout. “They played the way we know they’re capable of playing at times,” he added.
“They played the way we know they’re capable of playing.”
The Angels got it done this weekend, sweeping the Dodgers for the first time since 2015.@Angels | #RepTheHalo
https://t.co/fGPbvbj8w4 pic.twitter.com/D6NNHZc2rk
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) May 19, 2025
Scruggs’ accolade was well-deserved, since the Angels’ bats were just on fire throughout the series. Yoán Moncada had a two-run homer in Game 1, and Zach Neto picked up a pair of RBI doubles. In the second game, Logan O’Hoppe delivered five RBIs, including a three-run blast. Taylor Ward and Matthew Lugo also homered in that high-scoring affair. Capping it off in Game 3, Neto led off with a homer, Ward added a two-run shot, and Travis d’Arnaud hit the game-winning solo homer, showcasing a relentless offensive fire.
The managers and players certainly felt the intensity of the series. Angels Manager Ron Washington credited his players: “It means a lot when you sweep any team…all the credit goes to those players, who played very well.” d’Arnaud added, “Every game here felt like a playoff atmosphere…to prevail in all three games is really special.” Even pitcher Yusei Kikuchi stated, “We just swept the best team in baseball.”
This outpouring of pride and relief from the Angels’ clubhouse made sense, considering the adversity they had faced leading up to the series. The sweep was more than just a collection of wins, it was a much-needed boost for a team that had struggled to find its footing.
Angels sweep Dodgers: A series of contrasts and cracks
Before this stunning sweep, the Angels’ 2025 season had been a bumpy one. They improved at 20–25 with these wins. They had scored 181 runs but allowed a concerning 240. Their team batting average was a low of .216, and their overall ERA was 5.02. Most notably, their .282 on-base percentage ranked them dead last in the majors, and they sat in 5th place in the AL West, struggling with consistency.
On the other side of the diamond, the Dodgers entered the series as a powerhouse. Even after the sweep, their record of 29-18 kept them in first place in the N.L. West. They were first in MLB in runs scored (272), batting average (.271), on-base percentage (.347), and slugging percentage (.476). Players such as Freddie Freeman (.371), Shohei Ohtani (16 HRs), and Will Smith were putting up monster numbers, with pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto also shining.
Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Still, the series exposed some cracks in the Dodgers’ armor. Their team ERA of 4.18 ranked 21st in MLB, and they had allowed 59 home runs. And injuries had hit their pitching staff, too. Kirby Yates, Roki Sasaki, and Tyler Glasnow were among the players on the shelf. While their offense could explode, their pitching and, at times, defense showed vulnerabilities that the Angels expertly exploited during those three memorable days in May.
This wasn’t just a sweep for the Angels. It was a burst of energy for a struggling team and a stark reminder that anything can happen in baseball. For a franchise with a history of dramatic comebacks—think the 2002 World Series Game 6 rally or the “Mother’s Day Miracle” in 1995—this dominant performance without their biggest star will be retold. This certainly adds a little spice to the next Freeway Series!
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