Los Angeles @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( May 10, 2010 ) LA Dodgers 7, Arizona 3
It was an easy correlation to make.
Andre Ethier’s offensive breakout coincided with the arrival of Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup in August 2008.
Indeed, his numbers took off the rest of the season as he hit .386 along with the two highest months of the season in on-base and slugging percentages.
He followed it up with a 2009 season that included career highs in home runs and RBIs and has torn the cover off the ball in the first six weeks of 2010 to become an early season MVP candidate.
But here is the thing – Ramirez was suspended for 50 games last season and missed some time this year with time on the disabled list.
In other words, Ramirez might have been there at the beginning of Ethier’s breakout, but he hasn’t been around all that much as the right fielder has developed into one of the game’s rising stars.
A former Arizona State star who played his high school ball at Phoenix St. Mary’s, Ethier entered the series opener at Chase Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks leading – or tied for the lead - the National League in five offensive categories.
Overall, he began the series hitting .383 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs.
But there is talk within the organization that Ethier’s biggest improvement has come in the clubhouse. He has become one of the young, strong leaders along with center fielder Matt Kemp and first baseman James Loney.
These three players have grown up together – and lived through the "Jeff Kent clubhouse cancer" days – and should be a unit for years to come.
Those three expect to be in the lineup Tuesday against the Diamondbacks and look to support John Ely, who is making his third start – first since being recalled to replace knuckleballer Charlie Haeger (plantar fasciitis) – after going 0-1 with a 4.26 ERA.
Ely’s counterpart is scheduled to be right-handed ace Dan Haren, who needs to put an end to the Diamondbacks’ four-game losing streak at home after getting swept by the Milwaukee Brewers and losing the first game to the Dodgers.
Haren (4-1, 4.04) has had a couple of shaky starts but for the most part has been his usual dominant self. He’ll have to face an awful difficult challenge in facing the Dodgers’ lineup, but aces like Haren know how important their turn in the rotation is when the team is struggling to get wins.