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Freeway Series resumes in Anaheim

Jul 1, 2011 - 2:59 PM (Sports Network) - They say it's better late than never and that holds true for an Angels team that opened up their longest residency of the season with their first home sweep of 2011.

That success could be extended with the Dodgers set to visit this weekend.

Looking to parlay an extended stay in Anaheim into a charge to the top of the American League West, the Angels start up a three-game series this evening with the Dodgers hoping to secure a seventh victory in eight games.

Owners of just an 18-20 record at home this season, the Angels began a 13-game homestand with a three-game sweep of the Nationals to start the week. They sandwiched a pair of one-run victories around an 11-5 win on Tuesday, taking the finale by a slim 1-0 margin.

Dan Haren combined with Scott Downs and Jordan Walden on the three-hit shutout. Haren allowed two hits and struck out seven over his 7 1/3 innings of work and Walden shook off a one-out double in the ninth inning to snap a string of three straight blown saves.

Haren was pulled after 120 pitches and helped the Angels improve to 11-4 versus the National League this season.

"My command was better. My fastball was good," Haren said. "I was making good pitches down in the zone. I felt fresh, and the bullpen came in and did a good job."

The Angels are 12-5 since a six-game slide from June 4-10 and sit a game behind the Rangers for first place in the AL West. They are likely to keep the pressure on tonight given they have won 13 of their past 18 at home versus the Dodgers.

The Angels also took two of three from the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine last weekend, giving them a win in seven of the past nine meetings overall. One of those matchups was won by tonight's starter Tyler Chatwood, who is 3-0 with a 0.86 earned run average in three interleague starts this season.

The 21-year-old rookie has won consecutive starts for the first time in his career, giving up a run over 14 innings. Chatwood hurled seven shutout frames to beat the Mets on June 19, then limited the Dodgers to a run on four hits and three walks in Saturday's 6-1 triumph.

"Everything was right on time today," said the right-handed Chatwood, who is 5-4 with a 3.64 ERA in 15 start this year. "My mechanics were good. I was able to stay under control."

Dodgers righty Hiroki Kuroda opposed Chatwood last weekend and does so again hoping to avoid a seventh straight losing decision.

Kuroda gave up two runs on three hits -- one a solo homer by Mark Trumbo -- over five innings, marking the fifth straight start the Japanese import has given up two runs or less. Regardless, the 36-year-old hasn't won since May 17 and fell to 5-9 with a 3.10 ERA in 16 starts this season.

Kuroda has lost both of his career starts versus the Angels, posting a 3.97 ERA.

The Dodgers followed up a victory over the Angels on Sunday -- salvaging the finale of the series -- with a 15-0 victory at Minnesota on Monday that featured 25 hits. However, they managed just four runs and 13 hits in dropping the final two games of that series to the Twins, including Wednesday's 1-0 defeat.

Matt Kemp had Los Angeles' only extra-base hit with a double as the Dodgers were shut out for the eighth time this year and lost for the fifth time in seven games overall.

Rubby De La Rosa took the loss despite giving up just one run on six hits over a career-high seven innings, but was outdueled by Scott Baker and his 7 1/3 scoreless innings.

"[Baker] had pretty good stuff. He had some good off-speed pitches," said Kemp. "He just stayed in the zone and threw strikes. He did his job."