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Angels continue home dominance over Dodgers

May 20, 2007 - 5:29 AM ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are making short work of their opponents at home.

Robb Quinlan broke open the game in the sixth inning with a two-run double and Jered Weaver pitched into the seventh inning as the Angels posted a 6-2 victory over the Dodgers in the second game of the "Freeway Series" on Saturday.

With their second consecutive victory over the Dodgers to open the series, the Angels ran their home record to 17-6, the second-best mark in the American League.

Staked to a 3-2 advantage in the sixth, Vladimir Guerrero started a stretch of four consecutive hits against Dodgers starter Mark Hendrickson (2-1) with a single. Gary Matthews, Jr. followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position for Quinlan, who plated both with a two-run double to extend the Angels lead to 5-2.

"I crushed that ball, no, I'm just kidding," Quinlan said. "I got lucky to get the ball over their heads with the infield in, but sometimes it's better to be lucky than good."

Shea Hillenbrand capped the scoring in the frame as he singled home Quinlan to make it 6-2.

"Shea has been looking a lot better at the plate for us and if he can keep contributing then we will be winning a lot more ball games," Scioscia said.

Weaver (3-3) allowed two runs and five hits with two walks and six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings in his first outing against the Dodgers. The righthander extended the recent run of strong starting pitching for the Angels, whose starters have allowed three runs or less in 20 of their last 25 outings.

"Pitching is contagious like hitting and, right now, it just seems like our pitchers are just going out there and keeping other teams off the board," Weaver said.

"We have been playing better baseball and it shows in the win column," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Rookie Reggie Willits continued his stellar play, stroking a hit and scoring a run, marking the 14th time in 15 games he has registered a hit. He has reached base safely in 27 of the 28 games that he has had at least one official at-bat.

"I'm just making the best out of the playing time I'm getting now," Willits said. "I know that my job as the leadoff hitter is to get on base anyway and let the guys behind me drive me in."

Hendrickson surrendered six runs - five earned - and nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 6 2/3 frames. After yielding one or fewer runs in each of his first six appearances this season, the lefthander has surrendered struggled more and more each time out.

"I felt good out there tonight but I made some bad mistakes in the zone and they dropped in for hits," Hendrickson said. "We just have to put these two losses behind us and come out here ready to play tomorrow."

Jeff Kent homered and Andre Ethier had two hits and a RBI for the Dodgers, who have dropped the first two games of the series after winning five of their last six contests entering the weekend.

"We are showing signs of our bats starting to wake up, but we just need more consistency," Little said. "The Angels are hot right now, so we hope we can scratch out a win tomorrow."