Angels own this town (continued): Dodgers lose, 6-1
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Turns out Arte Moreno was right. Los Angeles is the Angels’ town. Particularly, it seems, that part the Dodgers call home.
The Angels beat the Dodgers again Saturday, which as news rates with another wave laps shore.
This time the Angels knocked off the Dodgers 6-1, the lifeless Boys in Blue managing only five hits against rookie right-hander Tyler Chatwood and company before an announced crowd of 41,108.
The Angels have now beaten the Dodgers in 18 of their last 26 meetings, and in seven of their last eight at Dodger Stadium.
Alas, losing is something with which the Dodgers are becoming uncomfortably familiar. The Dodgers have lost eight of 11 games on their current homestand. They have fallen to 34-44, matching their season-worst of 10 games under .500.
As the story continues to go for the Dodgers, they also received strong starting pitching Saturday, just not strong enough.
The Angels managed only six hits themselves, but two were the kind that landed over the fence.
Rookie Mark Trumbo hit his 13th home run of the season off Hiroki Kuroda in the fourth, a solo shot that gave the Angels a 2-0 lead.
After a bases-loaded walk to A.J. Ellis gave the Dodgers a run in the fifth, Don Mattingly used Casey Blake as a pinch-hitter for Kuroda, and he lined into a double play to end the threat
It remained a 2-1 game until the Angels put it away with a four-run eighth.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, three came on a Vernon Wells home run off Hong-Chih Kuo.
Kuo was pitching on back-to-back days for the first time since he came off the disabled list with an anxiety disorder June 19.
Kuroda’s outing was also sadly familiar. He again pitched well in his five innings, but was left with a record of 5-9 and an ERA of 3.10.
Another strong outing, another loss. Kuroda has now lost a career-high six consecutive decisions.
Matt Kemp also left after the fifth, albeit after being ejected for arguing balls and strikes. It was his second ejection of the year.
Chatwood (5-4) went seven innings for the Angels, holding the Dodgers to four hits, all singles.
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-- Steve Dilbeck