The Angels go for a sweep of the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, and they have their best pitcher on the mound. However, so do the Dodgers, and Jered Weaver vs. Clayton Kershaw is one of the best pitching matchups of the season in MLB. The Angels have won six straight at Dodger Stadium.
The 28-year old Weaver is having his best season this year, as he is 9-4 with a 2.01 ERA. He led the major leagues in strikeouts last season with 233, and this season he is 10th in baseball with 102 punchouts. Kershaw is fourth with 117, seven whiffs behind Justin Verlander for the major league lead. Kershaw is 7-3 with a 3.01 ERA this season, and today is his 100th career start.
The Angels have won all four interleague series this season and are 8-3 against National League teams, including 6-2 on their current road trip. However, interleague success is nothing new for the Halos, as their 126-82 mark since the 2000 season in interleague play is the best in MLB. They also have the best road record all-time in interleague play at 76-56. They are 48-34 against the Dodgers, including 22-20 at Dodger Stadium.
For the Dodgers, this has been an especially exasperating homestand, as they are 3-8 with one game remaining. They followed up a three-game winning streak by losing their last three contests. "Really we are not getting it done," manager Don Mattingly said after Saturday's game. "It does feel like it is kind of getting away from us from the standpoint of getting farther away from .500 and it really just makes the road longer and we are just going to have to play really well for a long stretch of time."
Angels shortstop Erick Aybar is four for eight in the series with a triple and a home run, and has a modest six-game hitting streak. Mark Trumbo, who homered yesterday (a deep shot to the back of the Dodgers bullpen in left field), has a seven-game hitting streak, during which he is hitting .385/.407/.654. Trumbo leads all American League rookies with 13 home runs and 28 runs scored.
Today's 1:10 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Prime Ticket (Dodgers) and KCOP (Angels). For more news and information on the Angels, the Dodgers, or the Freeway Series, be sure to read the SB Nation blogs True Blue LA and Halos Heaven.