New York @ Los Angeles preview
Dodger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jun 26, 2010 ) NY Yankees 4, LA Dodgers 9
The Los Angeles Dodgers unleashed a lot of frustration Saturday and will look to finish off interleague play with a bang on Sunday.
The Dodgers won the middle game of the intense three-game series against the New York Yankees with an impressive hitting display, a rarity for Los Angeles during the recent stretch that made Saturday’s win only its second in nine games.
The series concludes Sunday night in Los Angeles.
Six of the Dodgers’ seven losses during the skid have been to American League teams (three to Boston, two to the Los Angeles Angels and one to the Yankees). The Dodgers have been blanked once and held to one run three times during the stretch.
The Dodgers are just 4-10 in interleague play, which concludes today.
Los Angeles had 11 hits and drew a season-best 10 walks during Saturday’s 9-4 victory, with James Loney contributing four RBIs and Rafael Furcal going 3-for-5 and scoring three runs.
The nine-run outburst was reminiscent of the Dodgers’ only other win during the stretch – when they scored 10 runs in beating the Angels last Thursday.
The Dodgers-Yankees matchup was highly anticipated because it was the first time that former Yankees manager Joe Torre faced the team he managed to four World Series title.
But the series also forced Torre to live on the other side of what has long been an uncomfortable situation for other managers – trying to avoid defeat by scoring against closer Mariano Rivera.
The Yankees won Friday’s opener 2-1 with Rivera performing in the superb manner that he did while saving New York victories for Torre. Rivera struck out Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp and Loney in succession to finish off the contest.
The save was Rivera’s 17th of the year and the 10th save situation in a row in which he converted. It also lowered his season earned-run average to 0.99.
Rivera hasn’t allowed a run since saving May 21 against the New York Mets. In 14 innings since that outing, Rivera has allowed just three hits and three walks while striking out 15.
Torre and the Dodgers will be hoping they don’t see Rivera during tonight’s finale. But another familiar face to Torre will be on the mound.
Left-hander Andy Pettitte (9-2) will be looking to become the fourth American League pitcher with 10 or more victories this season when he makes his fifth career start against the Dodgers. He has pitched seven or more innings in six straight starts and has an ERA of 2.48.
Pettitte beat Arizona in his last start, giving up two runs and seven hits in seven innings. Pettitte is 2-0 with a 3.33 ERA against the Dodgers.
Left-hander Clayton Kershaw (7-4, 3.24 ERA) will be on the mound for the Dodgers. Kershaw had won six of seven decisions before losing to the Angels in his last outing, when he gave up five runs in 6 2/3 innings.
Kershaw has struck out 103 batters in 91 2/3 innings but also has walked 48.