LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — Shohei Ohtani faces his former team for the first time this season when the Los Angeles Dodgers host the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers (40-22) enter the series opener as one of baseball’s top teams, while the Angels (24-39) have struggled to find consistency. The matchup marks the beginning of a three-game Freeway Series, and the Dodgers have dominated the season series, outscoring the Angels 31-3 during a three-game sweep May 15-17 at Angel Stadium.

Ohtani, who signed with the Dodgers during the offseason after six seasons with the Angels, has been a two-way force. He threw six shutout innings, allowing two hits with six strikeouts, and also went 3 for 4 at the plate in a 7-0 win at Arizona on Wednesday. In his past four starts, Ohtani has a 0.39 ERA with 25 strikeouts over 23 innings. He is batting .333 (9 for 27) with two home runs over his last seven games.

The Angels will counter with right-hander Walbert Ureña, who has posted a 2.45 ERA over his last five starts. Ureña (2-2, 3.34 ERA) allowed three earned runs over six innings with seven strikeouts in Wednesday’s 11-4 win against Colorado. He has pitched at least five innings in each of his past six outings, and the Angels have won four of those games.

Los Angeles comes off a 14-3 win at Tampa Bay on May 30, but has alternated wins and losses over its last six. The Angels rank near the bottom of the majors in runs scored and have been outscored by 59 runs this season.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, have won seven of their last nine, including a sweep of the Diamondbacks. Kyle Tucker has been productive at the plate, going 3 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs in Wednesday’s win.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 7-5 Dodgers victory.

After Friday, the teams meet again Saturday and Sunday before the Angels return home to host Houston and the Dodgers travel to Pittsburgh.