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Sports Jul 08, 2023
Dodger Stadium provides the foreground as downtown LA looms in the distance. | Photo courtesy of Pixabay
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The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to complete their second consecutive season sweep of the Los Angeles Angels when they meet Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium, the final regular-season game between the teams in 2023.
The Dodgers extended their winning streak over the Angels to nine games Friday with an 11-4 victory at Dodger Stadium, with Mookie Betts hitting two of their five home runs.
The nine-game winning streak is the longest by either team in the series which began in 1997. The previous high was eight by the Dodgers from Aug. 5, 2014-Sept. 8, 2015.
The Dodgers last lost to the Angels on Aug. 6, 2021. They won their final two games against the Angels that season, all four in 2022 and the three between the two teams this season.
In addition to his solo home runs in the third and fifth innings, Betts hit a two-run double in the sixth for his 23rd career game with at least three extra-base hits, tying Lou Gehrig for the most by a player age 30 or younger since 1900, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Shohei Ohtani singled in three at-bats for the Angels to give him 100 hits for the season. This is his third season with 100 hits and 100 strikeouts as a pitcher, making him the first major league player to accomplish the feat. Adonis Terry is the only other player with 100 hits and 100 pitching strikeouts in two seasons, 1887 and 1890, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Mickey Moniak hit a three-run homer in the fourth and Mike Moustakas a solo homer in the seventh to account for the Angels’ scoring.
The Dodgers have not announced their starting pitcher for Saturday. Left-hander Reid Detmers (2-5) will start for the Angels.
Detmers pitched seven shutout innings against the Dodgers on June 20, allowing two hits, striking out eight and walking one, but did not figure in the decision. Reliever Chris Devenski allowed two runs in the eighth inning in the Angels’ 2-0 loss that day.
Detmers is 0-2 with a 5.17 ERA in 15 2/3 innings in three lifetime appearances against the Dodgers, all starts.
The Angels are 5-10 in Detmers’ starts this season.
Friday’s loss was the Angels’ (45-45) 12th in their 16 games since June 20, dropping them into fourth in the American League West, a half-game behind the Seattle Mariners (44-43). The Angels were in second, five games behind the division-leading Texas Rangers, entering play June 20.
The Angels are 4 1/2 games behind in the race for the American League’s third and final wild-card berth behind the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays, who are tied for the second berth with 49-40 records.
The Dodgers (50-38) have won 11 of their last 16 games after losing 10 of their previous 14 entering the Angel Stadium portion of the Freeway Series June 20 to move from third place in the National League West, 4 1/2 games behind the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks, into second, a half-game behind Arizona.
The 6:10 p.m. game will be televised by SportsNet LA and Bally Sports West.
It’s the final game for both teams before the All-Star break.
