Dodgers-Angels, on paper

Even though I'm modern enough to do most of my reading online and to write this blog, I prefer to keep track of some things on paper. Every day I clip Dodgers and Angels box scores and major-league standings out of the Daily News, glue-stick them in a composition book, and mark developments and trends with a pen and hilighter. I learn more about the season by flipping through that book than by clicking around internet pages.

The boxes say the key to the Dodgers-Angels inter-league series Friday-Saturday-Sunday is whether the Angels can keep the games out of the bullpens.

Dodgers relief pitchers are 10-3 this year, Angels relievers 4-8.

Mostly as a result: The Dodgers are 7-1 in games decided in the winning club's last at-bat, the Angels 2-3; the Dodgers are 6-3 in games decided by one run, the Angels 6-6; the Dodgers are 10-5 in games in which the winner scores eight runs or more, the Angels 4-8.

Basically, the Angels need starters Joe Saunders (facing Hiroki Kuroda), Ervin Santana (Chan No Park) and Jered Weaver (Brad Penny) to keep things quiet in Anaheim. If the games are wild and/or wooly, the Dodgers will have a good weekend.