Freeway Series Gets Early Start This Season

The Dodgers and Angels begin their final dress rehearsals for the regular season when they meet in the first game of the annual Freeway Series at 7 tonight in Dodger Stadium.

The series, which starts a day earlier this year because the Dodgers open the season Monday in Cincinnati, concludes with games at Anaheim Stadium on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Angels will close out their exhibition season Sunday against their triple-A farm team, the Edmonton Trappers, at Anaheim.

Orel Hershiser, expected to start the Dodgers’ opener against the Cincinnati Reds despite a recent bout with the flu, will split the pitching duties tonight with Tim Belcher. Mike Witt, who is scheduled to start Tuesday’s opener against the Chicago White Sox at Anaheim, will start for the Angels.