Santana, Capuano square off in Freeway Series

Ervin Santana takes aim at a third straight win this evening when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim continue their three-game Freeway Series against the Dodgers at Angel Stadium.

Santana carried a perfect game into the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday and ultimately finished with a brilliant one-hit shutout, as he improved to 4-7, while lowering his ERA to 5.16.

"He pitched with purpose," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Whether he made a good pitch or a bad pitch the pitch before, he pitched with purpose. And I think that goes a long way for what Ervin needs to do. He's got such good stuff that if he commits to his game plan, commits to what he wants to do, that his results will be there."

Santana retired the first 20 batters before Justin Upton's single broke up his bid for his second no-no and the 11th no-hitter in Angels history. The righty also allowed one walk with five strikeouts. His one-hitter was the 18th in team history and the first since C.J. Wilson and Ernesto Frieri combined to throw one on May 22

Prior to that outing he had surrendered 23 runs in 20 1/3 innings of his last four starts and had given up six home runs with 15 walks.

Santana has faced the Dodgers seven times and is 4-3 with a 3.45 ERA.

The Dodgers counter with lefty Chris Capuano, who is coming off a pretty solid effort of his own his last time out, although he had nothing to show for it. Capuano struck out 12 and gave up just one run in eight innings to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, but did not factor in the decision of his team's 2-1 win.

He is 8-2 on the year with a 2.71 ERA.

"You just keep going until they tell you to stop," said Capuano, who came out after throwing 111 pitches. "I think after the eighth, I didn't take myself out or anything, but I didn't argue. I was pretty tired."

Capuano also didn't receive a decision two starts ago against the Angels, as he allowed two runs and six hits with four walks in five innings of a 3-2 loss. He is 0-1 in two starts versus the Halos with a 3.27 ERA.

The Angels rallied to win Friday's opener, as Mike Trout homered, Torii Hunter hit a two-run single in an 8-5 victory. Erick Aybar also had a double, a triple and two RBI for the Halos, who have won 21 of their last 28 games.

The Dodgers were ahead 5-0 in the second inning, but Anaheim scored the game's final eight runs to earn the comeback victory.

Dan Haren (5-7) got the decision despite allowing five runs on nine hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out five.

"(Haren) had a rough two innings but he settled in and gave us a chance," said Trout.

Bobby Abreu, who was released by the Angels in April, hit a three-run homer in the first inning while Jerry Hairston and Juan Rivera both had an RBI single in the second for the Dodgers, losers of four straight games.

Chad Billingsley (4-6) was charged with six runs on 10 hits over five innings in the setback. He walked one and struck out five.

The Angels took two of three from the Dodgers earlier in the year.