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Start spreading the news: Dodgers ready for Yankees by finally winning interleague game, 10-6 over Angels

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Not two more base running blunders at second base, not a bank of lights going out in the seventh inning causing an 18-minute game delay, not starting pitcher Charlie Haeger could stop the Dodgers from finally winning a game Thursday night.

Not just a game, but an interleague game. Not just an interleague game, but a game against the Angels.

The Dodgers had lost nine consecutive interleague games, five in a row against the Angels.

But after receiving nearly five serviceable innings from Haeger and chasing Angels starter Scott Kazmir with a five-run fourth inning, the Dodgers salvaged their final meeting against the Angels with a 10-6 victory.

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The Angels jumped on Haeger for a quick run in the first, and for a moment it looked like it would be the same Haeger who carried an 0-4 record and 8.53 earned-run average into Thursday’s game.

But Haeger -- something of an emergency starter with Chad Billingsley and Carlos Monasterios on the disabled list -- was able to keep the Angels at bay the next two innings as the Dodgers went to work on Kazmir (6-6).

Reed Johnson’s dribbler to third with the bases loaded went for an infield hit to score one, before Rafael Furcal doubled in two more. Two more scored on a Jamey Carroll single and fielder’s choice from Andre Ethier.

A Mike Napoli solo home run got one back for the Angels in the bottom of the fourth, and after the Dodgers scored one in the fifth, the Angels chased Haeger with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut their deficit to 6-4.

But just when it looked like the Dodgers might invent yet another way to lose, they scored two more in the seventh.

Haeger departed the game one out shy from being able to earn his first victory of the season. Ramon Troncoso took over and allowed both runners to score. Troncoso has now allowed 15 of 24 runners he’s inherited this season to score -- including his last nine.

The night was still not without more adventurous Dodgers’ base running at second.

In the third, umpire Bill Welke ruled Carroll safe at second on a force play, but despite looking right at Welke when he signaled safe, Carroll thought he was out and started walking to the dugout. Howie Kendrick happily applied the tag.

Then in the fifth, Casey Blake was caught leaving first early by reliever Scot Shields and thrown out at second by about 10 feet.

In the top of the seventh, the lights atop the stadium on the first-base side went out. The Angels returned to the dugout and play was stopped. But they never could get the lights turned back on.

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Right field was deemed still bright enough to play without danger, and the teams returned to finish off only the Dodgers’ third victory in 12 interleague games.

--Steve Dilbeck

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