ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Los Angeles Angels returned to the Big A Sunday for the first game of the Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and while it may have still been a Spring Training game, it was also a return to a Major League stadium for both the team and manager Kurt Suzuki, though it was in a different capacity for Suzuki than what he's experienced before.
Suzuki was hired ahead of this season on a one-year contract to be the new Angels skipper. He's never managed before, but that doesn't mean he's been away from the Big Leagues very long. Suzuki was a player himself as recently as 2022.
He's relying on that recent playing experience to make up for his deficit in managerial experience when it comes to leading the Angels.
"Just being out of the game just as recently as a few years ago, understanding the situations of the game, the speed of the game and all those types of things, I'm not saying it's going to be easy by any means, but the comfort of being in a Major League stadium, I can feel that," Suzuki said before the game.
Jon Bryan - The Sporting Tribune
The Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) hits a single during a Spring Training Game against The Los Angeles Dodgers, March 22nd, 2026 in Anaheim, California.
Suzuki went on to explain that he feels like his instincts will serve the Angels well when it comes to game-planning a situation. The human aspect that he plans on bringing to the game is something that has, in his opinion, been lost since the takeover of analytics.
"I think the more that you just kind of play the game of baseball how it's played, move guys over, situational hitting, all those types of things that you grew up playing, if we can keep that kind of style and play hard... I like our chances," Suzuki said.
Dodgers take over
Whichever way that Suzuki plans on managing the Angels in the regular season, there wasn't much to do against the Dodgers on Sunday night.
That turned into a very bad inning for the Angels. 10 runs, six walks and three pitchers later the Dodgers now lead 10-1.@SportingTrib
— Jack Haslett (@JackHaslett_13) March 23, 2026
The reigning World Series champions took the game 13-5 and put up 10 runs in the third inning to seal the game away early on. George Klassen was on the mound for the Angels and after giving up a solo home run to Teoscar Hernandez to lead off the third, he proceeded to walk four of his next five batters to allow another Dodger run and end his outing after 2.1 innings.
"I was just rushing," Klassen said. "I need to trust myself, find my legs and just go out in that way, but... definitely a learning moment that I'm going to take into the season.
After that, Los Angeles was off to the races, burning through two Angels relievers in Samy Natara Jr. and Jared Southard before racking up 10 runs with four hits, including a bases-clearing double from Shohei Ohtani, and six walks to jump way ahead of their American league counterparts.
Jon Bryan - The Sporting Tribune
The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow (31) pitches during a Spring Training Game against The Los Angeles Angels, March 22nd, 2026 in Anaheim, California.
Soler's big night
Most of the Angels' offense came off the bat of one man: Jorge Soler.
Soler finished the game going 2-4 with two home runs and four RBIs. He was the only Angel to the better of Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow when he sent a 2-2 pitch rocketing off the right field wall to put the Angels on the board in the bottom of the second.
Jorge Soler strikes again, this time with a three-run home run into the bullpens.
— Jack Haslett (@JackHaslett_13) March 23, 2026
It's 11-4 Dodgers now, with all four Angels runs coming across courtesy of Soler
He followed that with a three-run shot into left field in the bottom of the sixth to score Mike Trout and Nolan Schanuel. Soler will be one of the main pieces of the Angels offense going into the season as long as he stays healthy and his performance on Sunday looks like a preview of what he'll be capable of from the DH spot this season.
"Facing Glasnow, we also face good pitchers in Spring Training, just trying to make the adjustments and take good pitches," Soler said through a translator.