Unlikely rally lifts Angels past Dodgers

Perhaps the last thing a fan might expect is for the top dog Los Angeles Dodgers to blow a lead late in the game against the oh-so-underdog Los Angeles Angels, but that’s what happened on Monday night.

Mike Trout’s two-run home run in the seventh inning and some fancy footwork – or should I say handiwork?  – allowed the home team to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 win.

That unexpected turnabout improved the Halo record to 32-35, just one game back of the third place Oakland A’s in the American League West. The unexpected loss didn’t mar the Dodgers’ (45-22) resume much, as they lead the National League West by 10 games and are tied with the Houston Astros for the best record in Major League Baseball.

Dodger ace Hyun-Jin Ryu kept Angel bats quiet during his six-inning stint as starter. He gave up seven hits and one run, striking out six batters and walking none.

However, all it took was a blast by Trout in the seventh to knot the game up 3-3.  In the eighth, the Halos pushed across a pair of runs, but not without some help from the Dodgers, who committed three errors on Monday.

Shohei Ohtani scored from third on an attempted force play; third baseman Max Muncy’s throw home was just a trifle high and Ohtani’s hand touched home plate a split-second before the catcher could make the tag.

Then, Dodger Joe Kelly reliever uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Brian Goodwin to score from third for the eventual 5-3 win for the Angels.

Today (on Tuesday) the two “Los Angeles” teams will square off again in Anaheim, with Felix Pena (3-1) starting for the Angels against Kenta Maeda (7-2) for the Dodgers in a 7:07 p.m. game.