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OC Register: Freeway Series: Angels and Dodgers have built up some history in their relationship


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  • Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park delivers a high kick to Anaheim Angels pitcher Tim Belcher after Belcher tagged him out on a sacrifice bunt in the fifth inning Saturday, June 5, 1999, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Park was suspended for seven games and fined $3,000 Tuesday, June 8, 1999 for the incident. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

  • LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES: Anaheim Angels pitcher Tim Belcher (C) is restrained by Angels first baseman Mo Vaughn (L) during a brawl with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park in the fifth inning of their 05 June, 1999 game at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. Belcher had tagged out Park after Park attempted a sacrifice bunt. The two exchanged words and the brawl began. Park was ejected from the game after kicking Belcher. AFP PHOTO/ Scott NELSON (Photo credit should read Scott Nelson/AFP/Getty Images)

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  • LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park (R) kicks Anaheim Angels pitcher Tim Belcher during their brawl in the fifth inning of their 05 June 1999 game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Belcher tagged out Park at first when Park attempted a sacrifice bunt. The two then exchanged words and then Park kicked Belcher. The benches cleared and Park was ejected from the game for the kick, but Belcher was allowed to remain. The Dodgers won by a score of 7-4. At left is Angels first baseman Mo Vaughn. AFP PHOTO/Scott NELSON (Photo credit should read Scott Nelson/AFP/Getty Images)

  • Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park, left, and Angels pitcher Tim Belcher square off after Belcher tagged Park out on a sacrifice bunt during the fifth inning of a game on Saturday, June 5, 1999, at Dodger Stadium. Park’s attempt at a spinning drop kick only served to land him on the bottom of the pile as both benches emptied and earned him a seven-game suspension. It’s one of most memorable moments since the teams started meeting in regular-season games. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

  • Dodgers starting pitcher Jeff Weaver, left, and Angels starting pitcher Jered Weaver talk to the media during a news conference on Friday, June 19, 2009 at Angel Stadium. The next day they became the eighth brothers in MLB history to start the same game for different teams. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

  • In the left frame, Dodgers relief pitcher Jeff Weaver, below, pitches to his brother Angels’ Jered Weaver during the fourth inning and in the right frame, Angels starting pitcher Jered Weaver, below pitches to his brother during the third inning of their game on Sunday, June 13, 2010 at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

  • Gail and Dave Weaver parents of Dodgers starting pitcher Jeff Weaver and Angels starting pitcher Jered Weaver wave during the reading of the lineup before a game on Saturday, June 20, 2009 at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

  • The Dodgers’ Matt Kemp scores past Angels catcher Jeff Mathis, right, on a sacrifice fly by Blake DeWitt as Jered Weaver looks on during the fifth inning of their June 28, 2008 game at Dodger Stadium. Weaver and relief pitcher Jose Arredondo combined to no-hit the Dodgers for eight innings, but the Angels still lost 1-0. “A little weird outcome,” Weaver said afterward of only the sixth time in baseball history a team was no-hit and won. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

  • Members of the Anaheim Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers get into an altercation after Tony Phillips of the Angels complained about an inside pitch from Dodger Chan Ho Park during the fourth inning Wednesday night, July 2, 1997, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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It has always mattered. But it hasn’t always counted.

The Dodgers and Angels have been playing each other as far back as 1962 when the Dodgers stopped by Palm Springs to face the new American League franchise preparing for its second season.

The relationship has had its difficulties. The Angels were motivated to build their own stadium and move out of Dodger Stadium in part because the Dodgers were making them split the cost of everything from parking lot resurfacing to toilet paper despite the fact that Dodgers games far outdrew the Angels. And just this spring, the last game of their annual exhibition series was halted when sewage – and metaphors – spilled onto the field in L.A.

But it wasn’t until 1997 when MLB added interleague play to the regular-season schedule that the two SoCal neighbors started playing games that counted in the standings.

Mike Scioscia was still wearing blue, as the Dodgers’ bench coach to first-year manager Bill Russell, when the interleague Freeway Series was born. Dave Roberts was with the Jacksonville Suns, the Detroit Tigers’ Double-A affiliate, playing the fourth of an eventual eight minor-league seasons before he would establish himself as a major-leaguer.

Mike Trout was racing around Millville, fresh out of kindergarten. Shohei Ohtani was looking forward to his third birthday. Cody Bellinger was still in diapers.

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These two teams have built up some history since interleague play began. Here’s a recap:

• 1997 – The Freeway Series began for real on June 17, 1997. The first game wasn’t decided until Todd Zeile hit a walk-off home run against Angels closer Troy Percival, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 victory.

The first Freeway Series home run was hit earlier that night by Wilton Guerrero. That was one of 11 home runs the older brother of future Angel (and Hall of Famer) Vladimir Guerrero hit during his eight big-league seasons – not that Wilton wasn’t trying. Earlier in the month, he had served an eight-game suspension after he was caught using a corked bat.

The Dodgers won the season series, 4-0.

• 1998 – The Angels didn’t get their first victory over the Dodgers until the second season of interleague play. It was one of two walk-offs in the four games – and a real walk-off. After Matt Luke homered off Percival to tie the score in the top of the ninth, Dodgers relievers Greg McMichael, Mark Guthrie and Jim Bruske combined to load the bases on walks then force in the game-winning run on a fourth walk, to Tim Salmon.

The Angels won the season series, 3-1.

• 1999 – The Freeway Series has largely been contested, at least on the field, as just another series in a long season. Not in 1999. Things got testy when Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park dropped a bunt along the first base line and objected to the way Angels pitcher Tim Belcher tagged him. Words were exchanged. Belcher no doubt shared some disapproval of the way Park had brushed back Angels infielder Randy Velarde earlier in the game and maybe even mentioned the confrontation between Park and Angels DH Tony Phillips two years earlier.

Shoves were exchanged followed by, most memorably, a kick. Park’s attempt at a spinning drop kick only served to land him on the bottom of the pile as benches emptied and earned him a seven-game suspension.

The Dodgers won the season series, 4-2.

• 2000 – Scioscia changed sides in the Freeway Series starting this year – and the momentum of the series changed as well. The Dodgers won nine of the first 14 matchups. But once Scioscia took over the Angels, the Dodgers won the season series just once in the next 13 years. The Angels dominated that stretch, going 49-29 (a .628 winning percentage) against their northern neighbors.

But the former Dodger insists it’s not personal.

“Honestly, it’s just another ballclub,” Scioscia said in 2000. “The only difference is the fans. That’s the part I get emotional about. There are a lot of good memories.”

The Angels won the season series, 4-2.

• 2001 – The Angels got back-to-back walk-off wins in June. Garret Anderson (RBI single) and Troy Glaus (home run) had the game-winning hits.

The Angels won the season series, 4-2.

• 2002 – For the first time (and only, so far), the Freeway Series featured that season’s World Series champions. The Dodgers split with the eventual champs, each team taking two of three at their home stadium. Aaron Sele pitched the first complete-game shutout in the Freeway Series, holding the Dodgers to three hits in a 7-0 win at Angel Stadium.

The two teams split the season series, 3-3.

• 2003 –The Angels won the season series, 4-2.

• 2004 – For the first time in the history of the two franchises, both the Dodgers and Angels made the post-season in 2004. The Angels dropped a 13-0 beating on the Dodgers in one game. Veteran infielder Robin Ventura pitched the final inning for the Dodgers.

The two teams split the season series, 3-3.

• 2005 – The Angels won the season series, 5-1.

• 2006 –The biggest blowout in the series came on May 19, 2006 when the Dodgers beat the Angels 16-3 at Dodger Stadium. Rookie outfielder Andre Ethier had five of the Dodgers’ 25 hits, drove in three runs (including two on a home run off Angels reliever Brendan Donnelly) and scored four.

The Dodgers won the season series, 4-2.

• 2007 –The Angels won the season series, 5-1.

• 2008 – The Angels pitched a no-hitter – and lost. At Dodger Stadium in June, Jered Weaver and reliever Jose Arredondo held the Dodgers without a hit for eight innings. But the only run scored in the fifth inning when Weaver bobbled a ground ball for an error that allowed Matt Kemp to reach base. Kemp stole second and went to third on a wild throw by Angels catcher Jeff Mathis. A sacrifice fly scored him.

“A little weird outcome,” Weaver said afterward of only the sixth time in baseball history a team was no-hit and won.

The two teams split the season series, 3-3.

• 2009 – A year later, Weaver had a more positive experience in the Freeway Series. He and older brother, Jeff, made baseball history on June 21, 2009, becoming the 21st pair of brothers to start against each other in a major-league game. Big brother Jeff got the win. Jered gave up six runs in 5-1/3 innings.

The two teams split the season series, 3-3.

• 2010 – The middle game of three at Angel Stadium provided one of the oddest endings in series history.

With the Angels leading 2-1 in the ninth, Jamey Carroll dropped a bloop single into left field, seemingly driving in the tying run from second base.

But Russell Martin was on first base and rounded second base, thinking Angels left fielder Juan Rivera’s throw would go through to home. Instead, Rivera threw behind Martin and Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick tagged Martin for the final out before pinch-runner Reed Johnson touched the plate. Game over.

“Now that I think about it, it was a dumb play,” Martin said later.

“Eighteen years in professional ball – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a play like that,” Angels outfielder Torii Hunter said. “That’s the game of baseball – every time you think you’ve seen it all, the game comes up and slaps you in the face with something new.”

The Angels won the season series, 5-1.

• 2011 – The Angels won the season series, 4-2.

• 2012 – The Angels won the season series, 4-2.

• 2013 – The two teams split the season series, 2-2.

• 2014 – The Angels’ only victory in this year’s renewal of the Freeway Series was the first complete-game shutout of Garrett Richards’ career. He held the Dodgers to five hits while striking out nine in an August victory.

The Dodgers won the season series, 3-1.

• 2015 – The Dodgers won the season series, 5-1.

• 2016 – The Angels won the season series, 3-1.

• 2017 – The Dodgers have regained the upper hand in the series, having won 11 of the past 18.

The two teams split the season series, 2-2.

Overall – The Angels lead the all-time series, 63-51.

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