Aaron Sele and Jeff Weaver have been on both sides of the Los Angeles Dodgers-Los Angeles Angels rivalry.

The 80th and 81st players to play for both teams will meet Friday when Sele and the Dodgers host Weaver and the Angels in the opener of a three-game Freeway Series.

Books have the Dodgers as -123 favorites with the total set at 8 1/2.

Weaver spent 2004 and 2005 with the Dodgers, earning a 27-24 record and a 4.11 ERA before signing a one-year, $8.325 million deal with the Angels in February. He is facing his former team for the first time.

Sele pitched for the Angels from 2002-04, going 24-24 with a 5.20 ERA, and is 7-7 with a 5.14 ERA in 19 career starts against his former team.

Weaver owns a 14-4 record in interleague play, ranking him third all-time in winning percentage (.778) and tying him for ninth in wins. Sele is 18-8 in interleague play, tying him for 10th in winning percentage (.692) and second with Mike Mussina of the New York Yankees in wins.

Weaver (1-6, 7.40 ERA) lost his fourth straight start on Sunday, allowing seven runs and seven hits - including four homers - in 3 2-3 innings of a 9-4 defeat to the Seattle Mariners. Weaver, who has given up 22 runs in 19 2-3 innings during his losing streak, has allowed 12 homers this season.

``It`s a matter of looking at the location of my pitches and finding out a reason for why I`m missing those spots,`` he said. ``More times than not, it`s because I`m trying to overthrow and trying to blow it by hitters. In my case, that`s never been the best approach.

``Maybe I need to take a couple of steps back and stay within myself, locate down in the zone and get those ground balls early in the count that I`ve always been accustomed to.``

Sele (1-0, 1.98) is making his third start since being called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to fill in for Odalis Perez, who had returned to the Dominican Republic to be with his ill mother. He allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings of the Dodgers` 6-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, but did not receive a decision.

Sele has allowed just three earned runs in 13 2-3 innings this season.

The Dodgers (21-20) have won nine of their last 12 after Wednesday`s 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Nomar Garciaparra singled in two runs for the Dodgers, who were without Jeff Kent (lower back) and Kenny Lofton (hamstring). Both are expected back for this weekend`s series.

Manager Grady Little said that he isn`t placing any extra importance on the games with the Dodgers` local rivals.

``Every win is important to me,`` he said. ``Friday`s game is the only game I`m concerned with right now. We`ve won nine of 12 games. We know we have a good club. We`ve just got to get the job done every day.``

The slumping Angels (17-24) have dropped four of five, including Thursday`s 10-inning, 8-4 defeat to the Toronto Blue Jays. Mike Napoli homered and Adam Kennedy doubled in a run in the loss.

Angels center fielder Darin Erstad is tied with the Yankees` Derek Jeter for first with 198 interleague hits, but is on the disabled list because of irritation in his right ankle. Garret Anderson ranks third all-time with 189, but is unlikely to play because of hamstring and foot problems.

``It`s not an ideal time to take a bat out of our lineup at any point, and it couldn`t have come at a more inopportune time for us. But going into a National League city, we`re going to have to do that,`` manager Mike Scioscia said, referring to the lack of a designated hitter in NL parks.

The Angels lead the all-time series between the teams 28-22, and won five of six meetings with the Dodgers last season.

A judge rejected a request Thursday by the city of Anaheim to force the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to change their name back to the Anaheim Angels.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter J. Polos ruled that he had no authority to reverse the ruling of a jury that three weeks ago decided in the team's favor.

The jury found that the Angels didn't breach a contract with the city when owner Arte Moreno changed their name in January 2005.

Last month, the jury also declined to award damages, although attorneys for the city had asked for as much as $373 million in lost tourism revenue, publicity and "impressions" - a reference to the national buzz Anaheim got every time its name was used in conjunction with Major League Baseball.