Dodgers hosting the Angels this weekend...

After dropping four of their first five games after losing Manny Ramirez for 50 games, it looks like the Dodgers are back in business after a three game sweep of the Mets this week. I know they didn't have to face Johan Santana and Carlos Delgado was injured, but I think it's about time people give the boys in blue some credit. They've won seven of their last eight games and still have the best record in the MLB at 29-13. Also, they're not just beating up on the lowly NL West (which is really, really bad) anymore, and this upcoming series win against the Angels should be a good way for the Dodgers to establish their presence in the National League.

In game one of the series, Clayton Kershaw faces off against Jered Weaver in a battle of the youngsters. Kershaw is coming off one of his best starts of the season when he took a no hitter into the eight inning. Weaver, on the other hand, has been great all season, posting a 2.59 ERA for the Angels.

I'm excited to see if Kershaw can withstand the powerful Angels bats. Chone Figgins, Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu should give the 22-year-old a bit of trouble, but I think Kershaw will respond nicely to his great start last time out, especially if the Dodgers give him similar run support.

It will also be interesting to see how much longer the young studs on the Dodgers can keep up their strong hitting. There has been a significant decrease in production since Manny's suspension, but luckily Juan Pierre has come into the picture to become a more-than-satisfactory left fielder. Casey Blake is still tearing it up, but I'd really like to see Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, James Loney and Russell Martin step it up. Regardless, I expect a pretty fun series. These are two very young teams competing for division crowns, so I'd imagine it will be an entertaining weekend - that is if the Lakers can pull one out too...