Dodgers, Angels Serve Up the Freeway Series Starting Tonight

Chili and Cookie and Peaches and Griffin, Alfredo are on the Dodger Stadium menu tonight when the Angels and the Dodgers open the 18th Freeway Series at 7:05 p.m.

The Angels, with a new manager, Cookie Rojas, and a new right fielder, Chili Davis, will also have a new pitcher on the mound--Dan Petry. Peaches, as he was known in Detroit, is bidding to become the club’s No. 3 starter, but a back injury and three straight exhibition shellings have left him with spring numbers of 0-3 and an 11.37 earned-run average.

The revamped Dodgers, with a 19-9 mark in Florida games, can set a club record for most spring victories by taking one of this weekend’s three games. Tim Belcher, winner of the Dodgers’ fifth-starter derby, will pitch tonight.

Other Freeway Series pitching matchups: The Angels’ Chuck Finley against former Angel Don Sutton and Tim Leary Saturday night at Dodger Stadium at 7:05; Kirk McCaskill against Shawn Hillegas Sunday at Anaheim Stadium at 1:05 p.m.

Both teams’ rosters are virtually set, with the only real competition remaining for the final two bullpen seats.

If Alejandro Pena’s groin strain places him on the disabled list, the Dodgers will need to choose two relievers from among Tim Crews, Brian Holton, William Brennan and Hillegas. Of the four, Brennan is considered the front-runner.

The Angels are apparently set on beginning the season with right-handers Donnie Moore and DeWayne Buice and left-handed rookie Frank DiMichele in the bullpen. Stewart Cliburn, with a 1.17 spring earned-run average, should also make the cut, leaving the role of long-relief specialist to rookie Ray Krawczyk, Joe Johnson or Jack Lazorko.

Position players on the bubble this weekend: Dodger catcher Alex Trevino, Dodger utility outfielder Tito Landrum, Angel rookie first baseman Jim Eppard, Angel utilityman Chico Walker and, possibly, George Hendrick.

Rojas says he will probably keep six outfielders, which could mean a choice between Walker and Hendrick. Hendrick, however, has a guaranteed contract for $600,000.

The Angels finished Cactus League games with a 14-12 record, 11-8 since Rojas replaced Gene Mauch as manager.