LOS ANGELES (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto retired 22 consecutive batters over eight dominant innings, Andy Pages and Shohei Ohtani homered to highlight a nine-run first and the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the Los Angeles Angels 9-2 on Saturday night.
The Dodgers battered Angels starter Jack Kochanowitz (2-5) for seven runs — six earned — and six hits in one-third of an inning. The right-hander had a strikeout and a walk in 38 pitches.
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Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, left, greets Dalton Rushing, right, after Rushing scores during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Los Angeles, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Dalton Rushing, right, rounds second base past Los Angeles Angels second baseman Oswald Peraza during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, celebrates his two-run home run with Alex Freeland during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Los Angeles, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Los Angeles, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
The Dodgers have outscored the Angels 41-5 in winning all five of their meetings so far. The NL West leaders have won 18 of their last 23 games overall.
Yamamoto (6-4) had seven consecutive 1-2-3 innings in silencing the Halos' lineup after Oswald Peraza's RBI triple with two outs in the first. It was the first run scored against Dodgers starting pitching in 19 2/3 innings.
The reigning World Series MVP allowed two hits, struck out four and walked none in eight innings. He threw 93 pitches, 69 for strikes. Yamamoto lowered his ERA to 2.68.
In his last four starts, Yamamoto has an ERA below 1.00 and has allowed just three earned runs and one homer in 27 1/3 innings.
The Dodgers reeled off six straight hits to open the bottom of the first when they sent 12 batters to the plate. Their nine runs came with just one out. It was the most runs scored in one inning since they also had nine on July 2, 2021, against Washington.
Ohtani reached on an infield single to second and scored on Pages' 14th homer into the Dodgers' bullpen in left for a 2-1 lead. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts had consecutive singles and moved up on a wild pitch by Kochanowitz. Max Muncy reached on an infield single to load the bases.
Ryan Ward doubled to center, bringing in Freeman and Betts for a 4-1 lead.
Dalton Rushing walked to chase Kochanowitz. Alex Freeland grounded into a fielder's choice to shortstop against Brent Suter. Muncy, Ward and Rushing scored on shortstop Zach Neto's throwing error to first that made it 7-1.
Ohtani's two-run shot extended the lead to 9-1. He finished 2 for 4 with a strikeout and a walk.
Neto homered off Jack Dreyer in the ninth.
Angels RHP José Soriano (6-4, 2.72 ERA) starts Sunday's series finale against Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan (3-2, 4.50).
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Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, left, greets Dalton Rushing, right, after Rushing scores during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Los Angeles, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Dalton Rushing, right, rounds second base past Los Angeles Angels second baseman Oswald Peraza during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, celebrates his two-run home run with Alex Freeland during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Los Angeles, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Los Angeles, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
MADRID (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people poured into a central Madrid plaza on Sunday for Pope Leo XIV ’s main Mass and a procession highlighting one of the most iconic expressions of Spanish popular piety: flower carpets.
They cheered and shouted “This is the youth of the pope!” as Leo arrived for the Mass, looping around the plaza and surrounding streets in his popemobile to a crowd packed several rows deep behind barricades.
Sunday’s Mass falls on the Catholic Corpus Domini feast day, which often features processions of faithful through towns and cities led by a priest carrying the Eucharist. In Spain as in other predominantly Catholic countries, the processions often feature elaborate floral carpets arranged along the route.
Leo, who arrived in Spain on Saturday at the start of his weeklong visit, has been keen to highlight the long tradition of Catholic devotion here to encourage especially young generations to find their faith.
At a vigil service Saturday night, an estimated 600,000 young Spaniards knelt for several minutes in silent prayer alongside Leo, suggesting that there is indeed interest among young people despite Spain’s heavily secularized society.
“Let me take the opportunity to tell all of you: Don't ever be afraid of thinking about a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, or other services in the church!” Leo told the crowd.
Irati Valda and Javier Hormazal, a young couple, held up a cardboard sign announcing they are going to get married on June 13 and were ushered up close to receive Leo's blessing during the vigil.
“To see so many young people together, it's incredible. Half a million people in silence, this is something you will only live once," Valda said.
The tradition of laying flower carpets — and destroying them when the procession tramples them — dates back two centuries and is popular also in Latin America, where elaborate sand designs are also made. The painstaking displays are considered an offering to the Eucharist.
Poland has already had its tradition of Corpus Domini flower carpets recognized by UNESCO, and Spain's Galicia region is trying to have its tradition listed along with other countries as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.
According to Spanish organizers, the 16 flower carpets decorating the half-kilometer (mile) procession route were prepared by a Spanish florists association from Galicia. Florists used more than 30,000 flowers, most the yellow and white colors of the Holy See flag, for the carpets that feature decorations such as the Holy See keys.
Leo arrived in Spain on Saturday and urged its people to put an end to polarization and work for unity. Later Sunday he is to meet privately with members of his Augustinian religious order and address cultural leaders.
AP visual journalist Helena Alves contributed.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Pope Leo XIV arrives in the popemobile at Plaza de Lima in Madrid, Saturday, June 6, 2026, for a prayer vigil with young people on the first day of a seven-day apostolic journey to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Pope Leo XIV is welcomed by Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, as he arrives at the Royal Palace in Madrid, Saturday, June 6, 2026, on the first day of his seven-day apostolic journey to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
People wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV ahead of a Holy Mass and Corpus Christi procession at Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, June 7, 2026, on the second day of his seven-day apostolic visit to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
People wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV ahead of a Holy Mass and Corpus Christi procession at Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, June 7, 2026, on the second day of his seven-day apostolic visit to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
People wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV ahead of a Holy Mass and Corpus Christi procession at Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, June 7, 2026, on the second day of his seven-day apostolic visit to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
