Freeway Series: Aybar, Angels Take Opener Over Dodgers, 8-3

Home runs by Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick led the Angels over the Dodgers 8-3 on Friday night, in the opener of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. Dan Haren allowed three runs in six innings to pick up his seventh win of the season for the Angels. Rookie Rubby De La Rosa allowed five runs in six innings, picking up his second straight loss.

Matt Kemp opened the scoring with a booming home run to center field in the second inning, giving the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. Kemp singled in the third inning, which gave him eight straight plate appearances reaching base, a streak that ended later in the game. Andre Ethier added three hits, including a double, on the night.

The Angels made several outs on the bases -- two runners caught stealing, two more picked off, one runner thrown out at third base and another thrown out at the plate -- but just kept attacking, scoring runs in five different innings on the night. Aybar had three hits, and Maicer Izturis added two hits, including a double.

Marcus Thames doubled in the second inning for the Dodgers, but strained his left calf on the play and immediately left the game. He is listed as day-to-day. Hiroki Kuroda and Tyler Chatwood face off in Saturday's second game of the series, on Fox.

For more news and information on the Freeway Series, be sure to read the SB Nation blogs True Blue LA and Halos Heaven.

Dodgers Vs. Angels: Friday Freeway Series Starting Lineups

The Dodgers and Angels face off on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, the opener of the first of two consecutive weekend series between the two Freeway Series foes. Dan Haren gets the start for the Angels, while rookie Rubby De La Rosa gets the call for the Dodgers, making his fourth major league start. Here are tonight's starting lineups:

Angels (37-39)

Izturis 2B
Aybar SS
Abreu RF
Wells CF
Callaspo 3B
Kendrick LF
Trumbo 1B
Mathis C
Haren P

Dodgers (34-42)

Gordon SS
Uribe 3B
Ethier RF
Kemp CF
Loney 1B
Thames LF
Navarro C
Carroll 2B
De La Rosa P

The Angels have are 46-34 all-time against the Dodgers in the regular season, including 16-8 in the last four years. However, the two clubs have split 40 games at Dodger Stadium.

Tonight's 7:10 p.m. PDT game will be televised by both Prime Ticket (Dodgers) and KCOP (Angels). For more news and information on the Freeway Series, be sure to read the SB Nation blogs True Blue LA and Halos Heaven.

Dodgers Vs. Angels Freeway Series: Who's Hot & Who's Not?

The Angels and Dodgers begin their Freeway Series Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Dan Haren starts for the Angels in the series opener, with Rubby De La Rosa starting for the Dodgers. When looking at who's hot and who's not, it might be easy to say both are not hot, as the Dodgers are 8-12 in June while the Angels are 8-11. But here are some players for both teams on both ends of the success spectrum of late.

Who's Hot?

• Matt Kemp (what else is new?): The center fielder, on pace for 43 home runs and 45 stolen bases this season, is hitting .379/.506/.818 in June. The way teams are pitching around him (17 walks in the last 20 games), Kemp should set a new career-high in walks in the next two to three weeks.
• Jered Weaver, starting Sunday for the Angels, is continuing his "every other month" roller coaster with traditional stats. Weaver is 3-0 with a 1.76 ERA in June, after 6-0, 0.99 in April and 0-4, 3.38 in May.
  
• Bobby Abreu is hitting .344/.444/.459 so far in June, but the regular designated hitter has also sat two of the Angels' six games in National League parks
• Aaron Miles is hitting .423/.429/.462 in June for the Dodgers
  

Who's Not?

• Dan Haren, starting tonight for the Angels, is 1-2 with a 6.35 ERA this month
  
• Casey Blake, who has been battling a pinched nerve in his neck, has started only two of the last 11 games, but has appeared as a pinch hitter seven times. Blake has one hit in his last 13 at-bats, and is hitting .143/.176/.204 in June.
• Opposing batters are hitting .370/.485/.444 in June off Dodger relief pitcher Mike MacDougal.
  
• Jeff Mathis has three hits in 30 at-bats in June (no his average didn't increase this month), hitting .100/.176/.233
  

Tonight's 7:10 p.m. PDT game will be televised by both Prime Ticket (Dodgers) and KCOP (Angels). For more news and information on the Freeway Series, be sure to read the SB Nation blogs True Blue LA and Halos Heaven.

Dodgers, Angels Renew Freeway Series Rivalry At Dodger Stadium

The Dodgers and Angels renew their rivalry Friday night at Dodger Stadium, with the first of two consecutive weekend series between the two teams. Dan Haren gets the start for the Angels, with rookie Rubby De La Rosa making his fourth major league start for the Dodgers. The Angels have only lost one season series to the Dodgers since 2000.

Haren is 6-5 with a 2.96 ERA this season, though after his terrific start to the season he has been merely human of late. Haren in his last five starts has allowed 20 runs in 30 innings -- an even 6.00 ERA -- though his 23 strikeouts against just four walks suggest he has pitched a bit better than that. He is 4-5 with a 3.19 ERA in 15 career games (14 starts) against the Dodgers.

De La Rosa has shown flashes of brilliance in the early stages of his MLB career, but has also labored at times. In his first start, in Philadelphia, he walked five batters in the first two innings, but rebounded to allow just one run in five innings. Then, in Colorado he gave up a three-run home run in the first inning but nothing for the next four. In his first home start, last Sunday, De La Rosa started well, but unraveled after a potential inning-ending ground ball was misplayed (though there was no error charged on the play). De La Rosa is 3-1 with a 4.58 ERA so far this season in 19 2/3 innings, which also includes three outings in relief.

The Angels are 46-34 against the Dodgers all-time in interleague play, and are 16-8 against the Dodgers since the begginning of 2007 season. The two teams have split 40 games at Dodger Stadium.

Tonight's 7:10 p.m. PDT game will be televised by both Prime Ticket (Dodgers) and KCOP (Angels). For more news and information on the Freeway Series, be sure to read the SB Nation blogs True Blue LA and Halos Heaven.