ANAHEIM (CNS) - The Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels will play in Southern California for the first time in 2022 tonight, meeting at Angel Stadium to begin the three-game Freeway Series, one week later than originally planned.
The delay was caused by Major League Baseball's lockout of its players, which ended March 11 when a new five-year labor agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association was ratified by the players' union and MLB.
Walker Buehler is scheduled to start in his final spring training appearance before being the Dodgers' opening day starter Friday at Colorado. Fellow right-hander Noah Syndergaard will start for the Angels.
Manager Dave Roberts has not said how long Buehler will pitch Sunday in his second spring training start of 2022. He pitched 4 2/3 innings March 22 against Cincinnati, allowing two runs and five hits, striking out five and not walking a batter.
This will be the first time Villa Park native and El Modena High School alumnus Freddie Freeman will be in uniform for the Dodgers in Southern California.
The 32-year-old signed a six-year contract with the Dodgers on March 19 after spending the past 12 seasons with the Atlanta Braves where he was a five-time selection to the All-Star Game and the National League MVP during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season.
Freeman is 6-for-18 (.333) with one home run and 2 RBIs in seven games with the Dodgers.
Syndergaard will be pitching against major league hitters for the second time this spring. He allowed one run and four hits in 3 2/3 innings against Oakland Monday, striking out four and walking one. Syndergaard pitched 3 innings in a minor league game March 22, allowing one run and two hits, striking out five and walking one.
Syndergaard signed a one-year contact with the Angels Nov. 16 after pitching six seasons with the New York Mets. He missed all the 2020 season and all but the final week of the 2021 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
The Angels lead the series that began in 1962, 71-54, with five games ending in ties. The Dodgers won two of the three games in 2021.
Spring training games that are tied after nine innings are customarily called once the day's scheduled pitchers have been used. Four of the Dodgers' 15 spring training games have ended in ties.
The final two games of the Freeway Series will be played Monday and Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.