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Kershaw, Weaver square off in Anaheim

Jul 2, 2011 - 2:44 PM (Sports Network) - A couple of pitching aces head to the hill tonight in the Golden State as Jered Weaver and the Angels prepare to host Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second of a three-game interleague set.

The Angels, who are in the midst of a lengthy 13-game homestand, saw their three-game win streak come to an end on Friday when they dropped the series opener by a score of 5-0.

Held scoreless for the 10th time already this season, the Angels now find themselves just two games behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the American League West even though they are three games under .500 (18-21) at home on the year.

Angels starter Tyler Chatwood surrendered a whopping 12 hits over the course of five innings, yet all of that action, in addition to a couple of walks, resulted in just four runs.

Howie Kendrick supplied two of the six hits for the Angels in the losing effort.

Tony Gwynn Jr. delivered three hits and walked three times for the visiting Dodgers and scored twice, while Aaron Miles accounted for four hits and a walk of his own. For Miles, it was the 15th four-hit game of his career.

Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda, who hadn't won since the middle of May, made it through seven innings as he allowed just three hits and struck out four to help his team snap a two-game slide and register their second shutout in as many wins.

"I didn't have all my pitches tonight, but I did have run support and I was able to relax," Kuroda said of his effort. "My sinkers and cutters were hitting the corners."

One of Kuroda's pitches missed the mark early in the first inning when he hit Angels outfielder Torii Hunter in the left hand. Hunter stayed in the game until the top of the third but was then taken out and had X-rays which revealed just a bruise.

Sporting the top ERA among starters in the American League entering the weekend, Angels hurler Weaver hopes to continue to mow down the opposition as he takes the ball for the hosts tonight.

Weaver, who is showing a 1.97 ERA through 17 appearances, has nearly four times as many strikeouts (106) as he does walks (28) through 123 1/3 innings thus far in 2011. The right-hander was last on the hill on Sunday when he permitted just a single run on seven hits and a walk, while striking out four over seven innings, but still the team bowed to the Dodgers in a 3-2 final as the California native failed to figure into the decision.

For his career Weaver, the 2010 AL strikeout leader, has a record of 4-2 and a 2.89 ERA in eight matchups with the Dodgers.

As for the visiting Dodgers, they too have their ace ready for action with Kershaw prepared to counter Weaver. Kershaw, who is 2-1 in his career versus the Angels, has won two straight decisions by going the distance against both Detroit and Anaheim.

Against the Angels last weekend, the lefty permitted just two runs on six hits, didn't issue a single walk, and for the second time in as many games fanned 11 batters in the 3-2 win.

Heading into the month of July, Kershaw was tops in the National League in strikeouts with 128 over the course of 116 2/3 innings.

The Dodgers, who are four games under .500 on the road (18-22), are currently tied with San Diego for last place in the NL West, 10 games out of contention.