ANAHEIM, Calif. – Mike Napoli homered and scored the go-ahead run on a double play, Robb Quinlan drove in two more with a bloop double and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Dodgers 6-2.
The Angels have won nine of their last 11 to move a season-high eight games over .500. They have also beaten the Dodgers in 13 of the last 16 meetings at Angel Stadium, including Friday night’s 9-1 rout.
Jered Weaver (3-3) pitched 6 2-3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits, including a solo homer by Jeff Kent. It was the right-hander’s first regular-season start against the Dodgers, and his first outing during interleague play. He struck out six and walked two.
Mark Hendrickson (2-1) allowed six runs – five earned – and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings with three strikeouts and two walks. The left-hander is 5-4 with a 4.07 ERA in nine career starts against the Angels, including stints with Toronto and Tampa Bay.
The NL West-leading Dodgers tied it at 2 in the fourth on a two-out RBI single by Andre Ethier.
But the AL West-leading Angels regained the lead in the fifth when Napoli scored on a double-play grounder by Chone Figgins. The key to the inning was a perfectly executed hit-and-run single by Erick Aybar that forced Kent to cover second base for a possible throw and vacate his regular spot.
The Angels broke it open in the sixth with three runs to take a 6-2 lead. Vladimir Guerrero singled, Gary Matthews Jr. doubled him to third and both scored when Quinlan lifted a flyball to short left field that parachuted over shortstop Rafael Furcal. Quinlan hustled into second base without a throw and Shea Hillenbrand drove him in with a single.
The Angels, who are 17-3 when they score in the first inning, got an unearned run in the first when Kent committed a throwing error to first base trying to complete a double play on Guerrero’s grounder to third. Reggie Willits, who has hit safely in 23 of his last 25 games, scored from second base on the play after singling and stealing second.
Kent got the run right back with a leadoff homer in the second inning on a 2-0 pitch. But Napoli put the Angels back in front in the bottom half, hitting his third homer into the left-field bullpen.
Kent’s bid for a second homer died in Willits’ glove as the Angels left fielder caught it against the bullpen gate.
Notes: Mike Scioscia, who broke Bill Rigney’s record for victories by an Angels manager on May 4, was honored with a pregame video tribute complete with highlights from his playing career with the Dodgers and accompanied by Frank Sinatra’s recording of “My Way.” Scioscia has caught more games for the Dodgers than anyone in their 118-year history. … Dodgers C Russell Martin was 0-for-4 in his second career game as a DH. He also was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in that role during a 6-3 loss at Minnesota last June 28. … Figgins was 0-for-3 and is hitless in his last 22 at-bats, dropping his average to .108. … The Angels may be leading their division, but the Rally Monkey can’t take much credit. The team has only four come-from-behind wins all season, and is 0-13 when trailing after seven innings. … Angels starting pitchers have held opponents to three earned runs or less in 20 of the last 25 contests.
AP-ES-05-19-07 2338EDT
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