SoCal MLB Preview

LA Dodgers (41-44) at San Francisco (38-48) 4:05 pm

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers get a boost on Friday when Nomar Garciaparra and Andruw Jones return from the disabled list for the opener of a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants. Garciaparra has been on the DL since April 26 with a strained left calf, while Jones has been nursing a right knee injury and has been sidelined since May 25. Garciaparra has played in just nine games this season, hitting .226 (7-for-31) with one home run and five RBI. The 34-year-old's return is crucial for Los Angeles as he is expected to return to shortstop after Rafael Furcal underwent back surgery on Thursday and will miss at least the next eight weeks. Jones, who signed a two-year, $36 million deal with the Dodgers in the offseason, is batting just .165 (22-for-133) with two home runs and seven RBI but was 4-for-8 with one home run during this week's rehab stint with Class AAA Las Vegas. Derek Lowe (5-8, 3.88 ERA) hopes the return of Garciaparra and Jones provides him with increased offensive production when he takes the mound for the Dodgers on Friday. Lowe is 1-3 over his last four starts but has received just five runs of support over that span. Jonathan Sanchez (8-4, 3.79), the reigning NL Player of the Week, counters for the Giants.

Toronto (41-45) at LA Angels (51-34), 6:05 pm

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- Jered Weaver and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim seek their third straight victory when they begin a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, Anaheim took two of of three from American League West rival Oakland earlier this week and has opened a five-game lead on the second-place Athletics. Weaver (7-8, 4.30) takes the mound after suffering a 1-0 loss o the Los Angeles Dodgers last Saturday. What made the loss so strange was that Weaver and Anaheim bullpen allowed no hits in their eight total innings pitched. The game wasn't an official no-hitter because the Dodgers didn't bat in the ninth. The Blue Jays counter with A.J. Burnett (8-7, 4.74), who has won his last two starts. The righthander was superb last Sunday, yielding only four hits while striking out a season-high 11 in seven innings of a 1-0 victory over Atlanta. In two outings vs. the Angels this season, Burnett is 1-0, having allowed five runs and nine hits with 14 strikeouts in 14 innings. Toronto, which has lost nine of its last 11 road games, is 2-4 against Anaheim this season.