Houston @ Los Angeles preview
Dodger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jul 19, 2009 ) Houston 3, LA Dodgers 4
The Los Angeles Dodgers are suddenly the hottest team in baseball and will be looking to continue their recent success - despite losing the hottest hitter in the majors.
Do-it-all right fielder Andre Ethier had his broken right pinkie examined Sunday and won’t be in action when the Dodgers open a two-game series against the visiting Houston Astros on Monday night.
The Dodgers, who have won seven straight games, are not yet sure how long Ethier will be sidelined. It’s possible he could go on the disabled list, but it’s also possible that he’ll just be out a couple days. A decision could happen by Tuesday.
Ethier broke the pinkie during batting practice on Saturday prior to the Dodgers’ game in San Diego. He missed the final two games of the series.
Ethier has been one of the top players in all of baseball this season. He leads the National League in batting average (.392) and RBIs (38) and is tied for the league-lead in homers (11). He also possesses a major-league leading .744 slugging percentage.
He has been on fire over the first two weeks of May with five homers and 19 RBIs. Ethier is batting .490 (24-of-49) during May.
His injury occurred as the Dodgers finally began clicking on all cylinders after a shaky start to the season.
Los Angeles has won nine of its last 10 games and has dominated its fellow NL West mates, going 12-3 against the division.
The Dodgers (20-17) enter Monday’s contest just two games behind the first-place Padres.
Houston (13-24) is on the other side of the spectrum with the worst record in the National League. The Astros were swept by San Francisco over the weekend.
Slumping left fielder Carlos Lee hit his third homer of the season in Sunday’s loss to the Giants. Lee is hitting just .199 and has just 12 RBIs this season.
Rookie John Ely (1-1) will start for the Dodgers and he’s coming off back-to-back great outings.
Ely posted his first major-league victory in his last outing while holding the Arizona Diamondbacks to two runs and six hits over six innings. In his previous start against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 6, Ely gave up only one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Ely didn’t walk a batter in either game while striking out 13. He has a 3.86 ERA.
Lefty Wandy Rodriguez (2-4) will oppose Ely and he has a 4.81 ERA in seven starts.
Rodriguez recorded the victory against the St. Louis Cardinals in his most-recent start despite allowing five runs – four earned – in six innings.
Rodriguez has a 3-2 career mark against the Dodgers with a 2.70 ERA.