Dodgers Notes from Spring Training- Day 20

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS (5-1-2) at Los Angeles Angels (5-3)

Monday, March 12, 2012 – 1:05 p.m., Tempe Diablo Stadium

RHP Aaron Harang vs. RHP Jered Weaver

Spring Game 9/Road Game 6

Todays Starting Lineup:

Dodgers: Gordon, 6; Kennedy, 4; Kemp, 8; Ethier, DH; Rivera, 7; Hairston, 5; Sullivan, 9; A. Ellis, 2; Fields, 9; Harang, 1.
Angels: Aybar SS, Kendrick 2B, Pujols 1B, Hunter RF, Wells LF, Abreu DH, Trumbo 3B, Ianetta C, Bourjos CF, Weaver SP.

Upcoming Spring Training Schedule:

• RED HOT AND BLUE: The Dodgers take their Cactus-League best 5-1-2 record to Tempe’s Diablo Stadium this afternoon to take on their I-5 rivals, the Angels. The two teams will meet again in Cactus League action on March 18 at Camelback Ranch –Glendale, prior to their exhibition Freeway Series from April 2-4. During the regular season, the Dodgers and Halos will meet six times, starting with a three-game set at Dodger Stadium from June 11-13. With four wins and a tie in its last five games, the Dodgers have the Cactus League’s best record with a 5-1-2 mark through eight contests. The club also has the best record among National League squads and trails only the Tigers (6-1-1) for the Majors’ best mark so far in the spring season.

• ALL PHASES: Los Angeles ranks fourth among National League teams with a .286 team batting average and is tied for third with 10 home runs, despite playing in just eight games. The Dodgers rank third among all NL clubs with a 3.38 ERA (27 ER/72.0 IP) and have committed just three errors, which ties them with the Cardinals and Astros for the fewest among NL teams.

• CUBBIE-BLANKING: The Dodgers shut out the Cubs, 5-0, yesterday at Camelback Ranch – Glendale, getting 3.0 scoreless innings from LHP Ted Lilly in his second Cactus League outing. Following Lilly, the Dodger bullpen continued its stellar work this spring as six different hurlers fired a combined 6.0 scoreless innings while yielding just three hits. The offense was keyed by outfielder Trent Oeltjen (2-for-3, 2B, 2 R) and designated hitter Tony Gwynn Jr. (2 RBI).

(Photo Credit: Juan Ocampo/ LA Dodgers 2012)

• THE BIG “H”: New Dodger starter Aaron Harang will make his second Cactus League appearance this afternoon in Tempe after making his debut last Wednesday in Phoenix against the A’s. Harang is coming off one of the best seasons of his 10-year big league career after leading the Padres with 14 wins and posting a career-low 3.64 ERA in 28 starts last season. Since 2004, Harang ranks among the National League leaders in wins (85, 7th), strikeouts (1,223, 3rd), innings pitched (1,467.2, 4th) and complete games (13, T-7^th). The California native will be followed to the hill today by RHP Chris Withrow, LHP Wilfredo Ledezma, RHP Angel Guzman, RHP Ryan Tucker and LHP Scott Rice.

• FAMILIAR FACES: Two players very familiar to Angels fans will be in the Dodger starting lineup today as Adam Kennedy starts at second and Juan Rivera will be in left field. Kennedy, who played in Anaheim from 2000-06, ranks among the Angels’ franchise leaders in games (992, 9^th), hits (935, 13^th), doubles (176, 9^th) and triples (32, T-4^th). He was the 2002 MVP of the American League Championship Series vs. Minnesota after hitting .357 (5-for-14) with three homers and five RBI in four games. Rivera played in Orange County from 2005-10, blasting 92 homers during that six-year stretch, which also includes the 2007 campaign when he played in just 14 games due to injury. The Venezuela native set career highs with the Angels in 2009 with 152 hits, 72 runs, 25 homers and 88 RBI.

(Photo Credit: Juan Ocampo/ LA Dodgers 2012)

• BIRTHDAY BOYS IN THE OUTFIELD: A quartet of famous former Dodger outfielders were born on this day as Raul Mondesi turns 41, 2004 home run hero Steve Finley is 47, Darryl Strawberry celebrates birthday No. 50 and Jimmy “The Toy Cannon” Wynn would have been 70 years old today.

• GOING TO BE A CLASSIC: The 3^rd annual Dodgertown Classic will take place tomorrow, March 13, at Dodger Stadium with UC Irvine taking on Pepperdine at 2:00 p.m. and USC battling its crosstown rival, UCLA at 6:30 p.m. There will be discounted concessions and free parking with an all-day ticket costing only $7 in advance and $12 tomorrow.