BATTLE FOR L.A. BEGINS DODGERS', ANGELS' EXPECTATIONS HIGH.Byline: RICH HAMMOND Rich Hammond Los Angeles Daily News sports writer. Instrumental in bringing the Los Angeles Kings hockey organization closer to the fans. He is the atypical "what a guy" to Kings fans everywhere. Rich Hammond on himself. Staff Writer It can be argued that the state of Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, baseball has never been better. One prominent publication has predicted an Angels' victory over the Dodgers in the World Series, which is remarkable, especially since the teams have made the playoffs in the same season once in 46 years. So when the three-game Freeway Series The term Freeway Series refers to a series of baseball games played between Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League and the Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League. opens tonight at Dodger Stadium • • [ , expectations will be high in both clubhouses, but questions remain, particularly in terms of starting pitching and power hitting. The Angels return the core of a team that has won at least 89games for three consecutive seasons while the Dodgers, a playoff team last season, seem to have gotten stronger both on the mound and at the plate. The season, however, will be far from a six-month coronation for either team. The Angels will succeed ... if starters Bartolo Colon and Jered Weaver Jered David Weaver (born October 4, 1982 in Northridge, California), is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Jered attended college at Long Beach State University where he was the 2004 College Baseball's Golden Spikes Award winner. return and can pitch near their previous form and if Garret Anderson Garret Joseph Anderson (born June 30, 1972 in Los Angeles, California) is a Major League Baseball left fielder who has played his entire career for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. can stay healthy and provide protection for Vladimir Guerrero Vladimir Alvino Guerrero (born February 9, 1976 in Don Gregorio, Nizao, Dominican Republic), and known in his native Dominican Republic as Miquéas (Spanish for Micah), is a Major League Baseball right fielder who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. . The Dodgers will succeed ... if the veteran starters can stay healthy and put up numbers close to their career averages and if Nomar Garciaparra Anthony Nomar Garciaparra[1] (born July 23, 1973, in Whittier, California) is a Mexican-American baseball player who currently plays third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers. , Jeff Kent and Luis Gonzalez prove to be a fearsome trio. Pitching will be a theme for both teams in this series, as some important pitchers will take the mound. In tonight's opener, the Dodgers' Randy Wolf -- a product of El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
Carrasco is simply a long reliever and an emergency starter for the Angels, but Wolf will start the second game of the season for the Dodgers and is the only left-hander in the rotation. Wolf looked sharp in his last spring outing and pitched into the sixth inning, so the Dodgers remain optimistic. On Friday, the Dodgers' Jason Schmidt opposes the Angels' Ervin Santana. If things break well, these could end up being the teams' aces this season and the catalysts for their teams' success. Santana shined in five of his six spring starts and has electric stuff but has been inconsistent at times. Schmidt, who signed a three-year, $47-million contract during the winter, is a veteran winner who is familiar with the NL West, but his fastball speed has caused some concern during spring training. In the series finale Saturday, the Dodgers' Brad Penny faces the Angels' Joe Saunders, who could be an important part of the rotation if Colon or Weaver, or both, struggle to regain their form. Penny appears to have overcome the shoulder stiffness that caused concern in Dodgers camp last week. For Penny, for the Dodgers and for the Angels, the hopes are the same this weekend: a solid performance on the mound will make everyone in the organization breathe a little easier on Opening Day. rich.hammond@dailynews.com (818) 713-3611 CAPTION(S): box Box: ANGELS vs. DODGERS |
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