Freeway Series Baseball Starts Monday

LAKE FOREST, CA - Is it one, two, or fifty miles from home to the old ball game? Traffic woes keep many from visiting the ball park, but this week, that could be a thing of the past thanks to Metrolink.

The local rail service is offering special deals for passengers with game tickets in their "rail series" between Orange County / San Diego County and Los Angeles County this week.

Dodgers hope to Continue Streak:

The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to extend their longest winning streak since 2013 when they begin the four-game Freeway Seriesagainst the Los Angeles Angels tonight at Dodger Stadium. The Angels will do their best to make sure that doesn't happen.

The Dodgers won their 10th consecutive game Sunday, defeating theColorado Rockies, 12-6, matching the second-longest winning streak in MajorLeague Baseball this season. The Texas Rangers won 10 straight from May 9-19.The Houston Astros won 11 straight from May 25-June 5.

The Dodgers last won 11 consecutive games in 2006.

The Dodgers' 51-26 record for a .662 winning percentage is second bestin MLB, behind the Astros, who are 52-25 for a .675 winning percentage. The Dodgers have homered in 17 consecutive games, matching their longest streak since they moved to Los Angeles in 1958 and the second-longest in franchise history behind the 24-game streak in 1953 when the team was based inBrooklyn.

Angels Race For Wildcard

The Angels enter the game 40-39, third in the five-team American League West Division, a percentage point behind second-place Texas and a game-and-a-half behind the Cleveland Indians in the race for league's second wild card berth. The teams will also play at Dodger Stadium Tuesday.

The series will conclude with games at Angel Stadium Wednesday and Thursday.

The Angels won last year's series, 3-1, splitting the two games atDodger Stadium then winning both games at Angel Stadium.

The Angels lead the official series, 61-49, which began in 1997, thefirst year of interleague play. The two teams began meeting in spring trainingin 1962, the Angels second season in the American League. Left-hander Rich Hill will start for the Dodgers, facing right-hander Ricky Nolasco. Hill pitched two games for the Angels in 2014, failing to get anout and being released eight days after being acquired in a trade with the Boston Red Sox. Nolasco was 8-3 for the Dodgers in 2013, then signed with the Minnesota Twins during the off season.

The cost of a round -trip train ticket is $7 for adults, $6 for senior citizens, the disabled and people on Medicare and $4 for youth. Children under 5 years old ride free.

Train tickets are available on the day of the game through Metrolink's mobile app and from train station ticket machines. The Dodger Stadium Express between Union Station and Dodger Stadium is also free, with a game ticket in hand.

Passengers may take any Orange County Line train to Union Station.

Suggested options are trains 609 and 689 to Union Station, which are scheduledto arrive at 5:26 p.m. and 6:27 p.m.

Both trains will allow passengers time to get to Dodger Stadium via the Dodger Stadium Express which departs near the taxi zone on the west side of Union Station, near Alameda Street. The shuttle leaves Union Station every 10 minutes starting 90 minutes before game time. Return shuttle service runs for approximately 45 minutes after the final out.

San Diego Dodgers or Angels Fans, don't feel left out.

Metrolink will operate one special train from Union Station making all stops to Oceanside after the games.

The train will depart one hour after the end of each game. If the games go into extra innings, the train departure time will be 11:30 p.m. Additional details on Metrolink and what it is dubbing Rail Series service at: metrolinktrains.com/railseries.

Ashley Ludwig Photo