3rd Inning Explosion! Shohei's Double Seals the Blowout!

2nd Inning: Got Scored on Early, Had Me Sweating

Are you kidding me, Soler cranks a homer right off the bat to take the lead. I mean, it's Angel Stadium, so of course they're hyped up. But honestly? I wasn't worried one bit. One look at the Dodgers lineup and you just know — "we're coming back, no doubt about it."

1st Inning: Shohei's First At-Bat Was a Bummer...

So Shohei's first at-bat — got jammed on a changeup and popped it up. Exit velo was 104.9 mph but the launch angle was 55°, so it's basically a pop fly. Ugh, so close. You could tell their battery was planning to spam changeups against him. "Next time, dude," I said, took a sip of beer, and waited.

3rd Inning: THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!

Man, the 3rd inning gave me literal goosebumps.

First, Hernandez launches a homer to tie it up. Then Betts walks, Freeman walks, Muncy walks — boom boom boom, bases loaded.

Then Shohei steps up. After getting jammed in the 1st, I was sitting there all nervous watching like "come on, come on..."

HECK YEAH!!

Bases loaded, second pitch — a sinker — and he rips a liner over left field for a double! Exit velo 117.1 mph (about 188 km/h)! The angle was perfect, that was an absolute laser. That one hit made it 7-1, game basically over right there. I bet he adjusted from the changeup attack in the 1st and sat on the sinker. Shohei is seriously one smart hitter, man.

Oh and before that double, his first at-bat of the 3rd inning (the walk) was great too. Runner on 2nd, he battled and battled and worked a walk. Key moment was laying off two straight changeups for balls. Used what he learned from the 1st inning to pick his pitches. That's my guy.

5th Inning: Oof... But We're Up Big So Whatever

Shohei's 5th inning at-bat — completely fooled by a changeup for a strikeout. They got him with two sinkers to get ahead, then threw a changeup with a 45 mph speed difference... that's just nasty pitching right there. Still stings, but we were up 10-1 at that point, so whatever. But man, even when Shohei makes an out, you can't look away. The pitch-by-pitch chess match is so fun to watch.

The Full Game: Dodgers Are Just Too Good!

Final score 13-5 blowout. That's the Dodgers way — pile it on in one big inning and put the game to bed. Hernandez's homer was sweet, and Shohei's double in that inning was electric.

Soler hit another homer off us in the 6th, but with a lead that big, who cares? Plus it's the Angels — in a game like this, I'd rather watch a slugfest blowout than a tight pitching duel anyway. Way more satisfying.

Shohei's line: 1-for-4 with a walk. But that one double — the timing, the bases-loaded situation — that hit was worth way more than the numbers show. Absolutely beautiful.