It looks like Weaver vs. Weaver in Saturday’s Dodgers vs. Angels
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As the Dodgers head to Anaheim Stadium for a three-game series beginning Friday night, all eyes will be turning to game No. 2, because it will feature Weaver against Weaver, the brothers Southern California baseball fans have come to love.
Dodgers Manager Joe Torre confirmed to LAT baseball writer Kevin Baxter that Jeff Weaver will take the mound Saturday afternoon, presuming he isn’t needed out of the bullpen Friday night -- a game Chad Billingsley is scheduled to start for the boys in Blue. The Angels had already scheduled Jeff’s younger brother, Jered, to take be on the mound Saturday.
Jeff, now used primarily as a middle reliever by the Dodgers, is 3-1 with a 3.72 earned run average in 29 innings.
Jered, of course, is one of the hottest pitchers in either league. He is 7-2 in more than 90 innings of work with a 2.08 ERA. Stay tuned to latimes.com/sports for Kevin’s full Dodgers notebook, and Mike DiGiovanna’s Angels notebook.
And from stat guru Dave Smith of retrosheet.org: The Weavers have never started against each other. The last time any brothers did was 2002 and it was Andy and Alan Benes. In all of Major League history (going back to 1871), it has happened only 20 times, which I thought a surprisingly small total. The Dodgers have been involved in two of the previous cases. Here is the full list:
09-06-2002 Alan Benes, CHN Andy Benes, SLN
08-29-1996 Ramon Martinez, LAN Pedro Martinez, MON
07-31-1988 Greg Maddux, CHN Mike Maddux, PHI
09-29-1986 Greg Maddux, CHN Mike Maddux, PHI
09-13-1982 Joe Niekro, HOU Phil Niekro, ATL
05-11-1980 Joe Niekro, HOU Phil Niekro, ATL
05-31-1979 Pat Underwood, DET Tom Underwood, TOR
09-26-1979 Joe Niekro, HOU Phil Niekro, ATL
09-26-1978 Joe Niekro, HOU Phil Niekro, ATL
05-29-1976 Joe Niekro, HOU Phil Niekro, ATL
07-03-1973 Jim Perry, DET Gaylord Perry, CLE
07-13-1969 Phil Niekro, ATL Joe Niekro, SDN
09-26-1969 Joe Niekro, SDN Phil Niekro, ATL
04-23-1968 Phil Niekro, ATL Joe Niekro, CHN
07-04-1967(1) Joe Niekro, CHN Phil Niekro, ATL
06-25-1926 Virgil Barnes, NY1 Jess Barnes, BRO
09-11-1926(2) Jess Barnes, BRO Virgil Barnes, NY1
04-23-1925 Jess Barnes, BSN Virgil Barnes, NY1
06-26-1924 Jess Barnes, BSN Virgil Barnes, NY1
06-29-1924(1) Jess Barnes, BSN Virgil Barnes, NY1
-- Debbie Goffa
Left photo: Dodgers pitcher Jeff Weaver. Credit: Kirby Lee / US Presswire. Right photo: Angels pitcher Jered Weaver. Credit: Jeff Gross / Getty Images