Angels get sweep

Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones sharply criticized the current interleague format that requires the Braves to play the powerful Boston Red Sox six times this season, while other National League East teams play lesser American League clubs.

“I don’t think there’s any question it’s not fair,” Jones said last week, “but I don’t think Major League Baseball is concerned with fair.”

Mike Scioscia didn’t wince at those comments, but the Angels manager didn’t have much stomach for them either.

“If you have to play good teams,” Scioscia said, “just play better baseball.”

A simple approach, but it served the Angels well. Instead of whining about playing the NL West-leading Dodgers six times, the Angels went out and spanked them in the Freeway Series, completing a convincing three-game sweep with Sunday’s 4-1 victory in Angel Stadium.

Kelvim Escobar (5-2) threw eight shutout innings, giving up three hits and striking out five, to increase his consecutive scoreless innings streak at home to 21 and help the Angels to their fifth victory in a row and 10th win in 12 games.

The Angels, who lead the AL West by four games, outpitched, outhit, out-defended, outran and out-executed the Dodgers from Friday night through Sunday, outscoring them, 19-4, in the series.

“If we can take this kind of game consistently onto the field, I’m confident we can win everywhere,” Scioscia said. “For the last three weeks, we’ve seen some things jelling. It’s a fun team to watch when we’re doing some of the things we’re capable of, like hitting with runners in scoring position and running the bases aggressively.”

Fun, that is, unless you’re the opposing pitcher. Right-hander Derek Lowe threw his second complete game in three starts and still lost, giving up four runs -- three earned -- and nine hits in eight innings, striking out six and walking none.

On consecutive run-scoring, two-out, ground-ball singles up the middle by Vladimir Guerrero and Gary Matthews Jr., in the fifth inning, Lowe wound up practically face-first on the mound, unable to smother the hits.

Also included in the Angels’ three-run fifth inning was Jose Molina’s hit-and-run single through the vacated second-base hole, the second consecutive game in which the Angels executed that play perfectly.

“They’re just a good team,” Lowe said. “Their organization doesn’t get enough credit. You look at their offense and say, ‘They may not hit a lot of home runs,’ but so what? Look at the hits and the runs they scored the last three games. They continually put pressure on you. The threat of the bunt and the hit and run is always there, and they execute extremely well.”

While the Dodgers committed two more errors Sunday, giving them six in the series, the Angels played flawless defense, backing Escobar with double plays to end the first, seventh and eighth innings.

Third baseman Maicer Izturis also made a nice barehanded grab of Russell Martin’s second-inning chopper and threw to first for the out.

The Dodgers, who have lost 20 of their last 21 games in AL parks and are 3-14 in their last 17 games in Angel Stadium, lead the NL with 36 errors, one more than Washington and Florida.

Third baseman Wilson Betemit’s mishandling of Matthews’ two-out grounder extended the first inning and allowed the Angels to score on Casey Kotchman’s single, and Rafael Furcal’s throwing error cost the Dodgers a run in the fifth.

Only two Dodgers reached second base against Escobar, who rebounded nicely from Tuesday’s 2 1/3 -inning, eight-run, eight-hit effort in an 11-3 loss to Seattle.

The Dodgers broke up the shutout in the ninth inning when Juan Pierre singled against Scot Shields and Jeff Kent hit a two-out, run-scoring double to left-center field, but closer Francisco Rodriguez, with chants of “Sweep! Sweep!” echoing throughout the stadium, struck out Olmedo Saenz for his 13th save.

“The fans really got into it -- it was like a playoff atmosphere, and you really get into it,” Escobar said. “Taking two of three from the Dodgers would have been great. Taking three of three is even better.”

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

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INTERLEAGUE WEEKEND

A wrapup of the notable matchups:

Freeway Series

at Angel Stadium

* The Angels, winners of a season-high five in a row, have beaten the Dodgers in 14 of their last 17 meetings at Angel Stadium. They outscored their local rivals 19-4 in the three-game set.

Subway Series

at Shea Stadium

* Tyler Clippard, making his big league debut, gave up one run in six innings and Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada homered as the Yankees beat the Mets, 6-2, to avert a sweep.

Bay Bridge Series

at McAfee Coliseum

* Matt Morris pitched a two-hitter as San Francisco avoided a sweep with a 4-1 win at Oakland. Barry Bonds was the Giants’ designated hitter for the third straight game and was 0 for 4.

Chicago Series

at Wrigley Field

* With a 47-degree temperature and a cold wind blowing in at 12 mph, the White Sox bounced back to beat the Cubs, 10-6, after two tough losses in which they squandered late leads.