The Los Angeles Dodgers (22-29) and Los Angeles Angels (24-29) meet for the final game of their interleague series on Thursday night at 10:05 p.m. ET. The game will air live on Fox West, online with a paid subscription on MLB.com and free live here.
Jason Vargas (4-3) looks to conclude his month with another impressive performance as the Angels try to salvage a split of this four-game Freeway Series. Vargas is 12-4 with a 2.78 ERA and .218 opponents' average over 27 games in May since 2009.
He's shown little ability to carry momentum into June in the past, however, going 7-9 with a 4.33 ERA in 21 starts. The Angels are well aware of Vargas' inconsistency since he's 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA in five starts this month after going 0-3 with a 4.85 ERA in five April outings.
The left-hander has matched a career by best winning three consecutive starts and posting a 1.69 ERA. In each start, Vargas has lasted at least seven innings.
"I don't feel any different than before," Vargas told ESPN. "It's just that the situations and outcomes have been different. I've been a little more efficient with pitch counts and controlling the count."
Despite joining the franchise back in 2010, Ted Lilly (0-1) is scheduled to make his first start against the Angels in the Freeway Series. He's 0-3 with a 5.94 ERA in his last three starts against the Angels, but the most recent was a 12-0 loss with the Chicago Cubs on June 19, 2010.
The left-hander's latest trip to the mound was his first since missing nearly a month with a strained right rib cage - his second stint on the disabled list this year. Lilly yielded two runs - one earned - and two hits in 5 1/3 innings while not getting a decision in a 5-3 win over St. Louis.
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