LOS ANGELES -- Although the Dodgers have struggled at the plate the past few weeks, they can't blame first baseman James Loney.

Even after his 12-game hitting streak was snapped on Thursday, Loney has hit .396 (21-for 53) in 14 games since June 12.

Loney also leads the National League with a .381 batting average in June, has hit safely in 22 of his last 23 starts and has a team-best 89 hits after recording an RBI single on Friday.

"James Loney is easy to like and the fact that we know he has ability and yet this kid is not bothered by pressure whatsoever, which I think is really going to play into a bright future for him," said Dodgers manager Joe Torre.

Loney has been dependable all season, as he's the only Dodger to appear in every game, with all but three being starts. He also enjoyed a hitting streak of 15 games to open the season.

Still, like many of the Dodgers' young hitters, Loney has struggled at times with having good at-bats, as Torre said "he has some at-bats that you scratch your head with."

Torre cited Loney's seventh-inning at-bat Friday when he looked at a pair of strikes from Angels righty Justin Speier with runners at first and second and no outs before swinging at a curveball for strike three as such a head scratcher.

Loney, who Torre said has a similar personality to former Yankee Bernie Williams, will be aiming to lead the Dodgers to just their second series victory out of their last 11 this weekend, which they can clinch with a win on Saturday.

In that time the Dodgers have gone 12-21 but have not lost any ground in the National League West standings because the D-backs have compiled the exact same mark. Arizona leads the division by 2 1/2 games entering play Saturday.

Winning the series would be quite a feat against the first-place Angels, a team that made a habit of bouncing Torre's Yankees teams from the playoffs.

"We know they're a good team, and I found that before I got here, obviously," Torre said.

Pitching matchup
LAD: RHP Chad Billingsley (6-7, 3.64 ERA)
Billingsley labored through five innings Sunday against the Indians, yielding three runs on eight hits. Cleveland forced him to throw 108 pitches on the hot afternoon, prompting his early exit. Billingsley pitched in and out of trouble all day, only getting burned during a three-run third. He said he was frustrated at times and felt like he was battling himself, unable to make pitches where he wanted to. Still, Billingsley improved to 6-3 with a 2.77 ERA in 11 outings since his 0-4 start.

LAA: RHP Jered Weaver (7-7, 4.56 ERA)
Weaver used his competitive instincts as much as his talent to limit the Phillies to one earned run in 5 1/3 challenging innings Sunday. He was in trouble from the start, leaving two runners in scoring position in the first inning by striking out Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell. Effectively using his riding fastball, he struck out six while walking three and yielding four hits. Weaver gets pumped against his hometown Dodgers. He has won all three starts against them with a 2.08 ERA, striking out 16 in 17 1/3 innings. In his lone Dodger Stadium start he pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings.

Tidbits
As part of their celebration of the 1970s this weekend, the Dodgers will host a luncheon Saturday to benefit the Dodgers Dream Foundation. It will include an autograph session, lunch, a question and answer session and mingling with the franchise's stars of the '70s. Tommy Lasorda, Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Rick Monday, Bill Russell, and Jerry Reuss, among others, are expected to attend. ... Reuss threw out the ceremonial first pitch Friday in honor of his no-hitter 28 years ago Friday. ... All three of Chan Ho Park's starts this season have come against American League opponents, including two against the Angels. ... The Dodgers hit multiple homers in a game on Friday for the first time since June 7, also the last time the club hit a three-run homer before the series opener against the Angels. ... Jeff Kent's sacrifice fly in the fifth Friday moved him into a tie with Dave Parker for 48th place on baseball's all-time RBI list with 1,493 in his career. ... The Dodgers signed pitcher Heath Totten to a Minor League contract and activated him at Triple-A Las Vegas.

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 MLB.TV
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On television
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On radio
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Up next
• Sunday: Dodgers (Derek Lowe, 5-7, 4.05) vs. Angels (John Lackey, 5-1, 1.65), 1:10 p.m. PT
• Monday: Dodgers (Eric Stults, 2-0, 0.60) at Astros (Roy Oswalt, 6-8, 4.77), 5:05 p.m. PT
• Tuesday: Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw, 0-2, 4.36) at Astros (Wandy Rodriguez, 3-3, 2.58), 5:05 p.m. PT