Los Angeles @ San Francisco preview
Oracle Park
Last Meeting ( Jun 29, 2010 ) LA Dodgers 4, San Francisco 2
The finale of the three-game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants will offer an intriguing subplot.
Wednesday’s matchup between the National League West rivals will mark the first time that Dodgers right-hander Vicente Padilla faces San Francisco center fielder Aaron Rowand.
Padilla hit Rowand with an inside pitch on April 16, fracturing his cheekbone.
Padilla (1-2, 5.82 ERA) has not spoken to Rowand in person, but he apologized after the incident and again this week. Rowand has refused to talk about the subject.
While their matchup remains interesting, but it could be overshadowed by a developing situation with the Dodgers outfield.
Manny Ramirez injured his right hamstring in the first inning of Tuesday’s game when he rounded second before stopping and sliding back to the bag. He was safe but immediately left the game.
He will not have an MRI exam but will be re-evaluated and miss today’s game. Ramirez was hitting .460 since June 13.
Ramirez was replaced by Matt Kemp, who was sitting out a third consecutive game.
Kemp approached manager Joe Torre earlier Tuesday to ask why he had not been in the lineup. Torre was evasive in his explanation to the media, but said Kemp would start this afternoon. He said he was unsure if Kemp would start today had he not approached the manager.
Kemp had been hitting just .161 (10-for-62) in his past 18 games, but an MLB.com report said the slump was not the reason for the benching. Rather, Kemp reportedly was benched for a confrontation with a Dodgers coach in the dugout Saturday.
Neither Kemp nor Torre confirmed that, and Torre also did not promise another start beyond today even though Kemp was 2-for-4 Tuesday night. Depending on Ramirez’s hamstring, Torre might not have a choice.
Speculation is increasing that the Dodgers are looking to trade Kemp, who to some observers seems to be too lackadaisical in the field and at the plate.
Kemp said he has been frustrated, but noted that his carefree personality definitely does not mean he doesn’t care.
The Giants are the ones who seem not to care lately. With Tuesday’s 4-2 loss, they have lost four consecutive series, four straight games and six of their past seven. They are fourth in the NL West, albeit just 4 ½ games out of first.
After Matt Cain fell to 0-8 in 14 starts against the Dodgers with his third consecutive loss, the Giants hope left-hander Jonathan Sanchez can end his slump against them.
Sanchez (6-5, 3.03) has never beaten the Dodgers, sporting a 0-4 record with a 6.13 ERA in eight career starts. Kemp is 7-for-17 against Sanchez.
Padilla, meanwhile, has never lost at AT&T Park, where he is 4-0 with a 2.36 ERA in five career starts.
On the injury front, the Giants said outfielder Matt De Rosa will undergo season-ending wrist surgery Thursday in Cleveland