Harang Hopes To Halt Halos

Aaron Harang (5-4, 3.76) vs. Garrett Richards (2-0, 0.86)

Dodgers Lineup: vs. Angels

Gordon 6

Herrera 5

Ethier 9

Abreu DH

Rivera 7

Loney 3

Kennedy 4

Gwynn 8

Treanor 2

The Dodgers would like nothing more than to win today versus their cross-town rivals. They would not only even the season series at three games apiece, but they would also finally win a series against the Angels. The Angels have won six consecutive series against the Dodgers in Interleague Play. A win today would also give the Dodgers much-needed momentum before they embark on a northern trip to take on the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.

Garrett Richards was called up by the Angels to replace ace Jared Weaver when he was disabled. Richards has filled in admirably during his four starts, and he is making his case to stay in the Angel rotation longer with his undefeated record and excellent ERA. Jerome Williams was placed on the disabled list after the game last Wednesday after suffering breathing problems, so Richards will be starting for at least a few more games while Williams recovers. Richards pitched 5 innings against the Dodgers back on June 11th, but he wasn’t involved in the decision. The Angels won the game 3-2 at Dodger Stadium. Richards pitched well only allowing 2 runs (1 earned ) off 5 hits against the Dodgers.

Aaron Harang pitched against the Angels on June 12th, and he only allowed two unearned runs in 7

innings of work against the Orange County team. He wasn’t involved in the decision, but the Dodgers went on to win the game 5-2 at Dodger Stadium. Last time out against Oakland, Harang walked a career-high 8 batters. He later discovered a mechanical flaw after watching videos of his performance. There was a difference in the way his hands separated from his glove at the beginning of his wind-up. If there’s one thing that I have noticed about Harang, is that he is adaptable. He can overcome tough jams and stay cool during these situations. I’m sure he’ll make the necessary adjustments to his wind-up to fix the problem. Harang is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in his career against the Angels (8 2/3 innings pitched). Albert Pujols has given him a hard time, and he is hitting .314 with 5 homeruns, 6 doubles, and 13 RBIs against Aaron.  

Interleague Play is finally ending. Didn’t it seem excruciatingly long?

The game will start at 12:35 pm, and it will be televised on FOX SPORTS WEST. Check out our recap following the game, and stay tuned for plenty of Dodger coverage as they take on the Giants this week.