San Francisco @ Los Angeles preview
Dodger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jun 30, 2010 ) LA Dodgers 8, San Francisco 2
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been fading in the wrong direction since the All-Star break after being swept in a four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The finale ended in excruciating fashion as a 4-0 lead entering the bottom of the eighth inning turned into a 5-4 loss.
But as luck would have it, a series against an NL West rival looms on the horizon.
That has constantly been a good thing for the Dodgers, who are underachievers against everybody but the four other NL West teams.
The Dodgers are 23-6 against their division rivals this season as they begin a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants on Monday at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles' division success will be put to a stern test this time as the red-hot Giants have won 10 of their last 13 games. San Francisco won three of four against the New York Mets in its first series after the break.
The Dodgers are just 26-37 outside the division, the largest factor in why they reside in fourth place in the NL West. Los Angeles trails the first-place San Diego Padres by 5 1/2 games.
Despite the recent hot spurt, San Francisco is only in third place – 4 1/2 games behind the Padres. Colorado is in second place, four games behind San Diego.
Part of the Dodgers’ stellar NL West mark has come by dominating the Giants. Los Angeles is 5-1 against San Francisco this season.
The Giants have been horrible against their division mates this season. San Francisco is just 9-20 against the NL West and only 3-11 on the road.
But San Francisco has been scoring runs in bunches in July. The Giants lead the majors with 87 runs scored this month.
Catcher Buster Posey has been the hottest Giant. Posey has a 12-game hitting streak and is batting .464 (26-for-56) in July.
San Francisco’s Travis Ishikawa continues to be a force as a pinch hitter. Ishikawa had a two-run, pinch-hit single against the Mets on Sunday to raise his pinch-hitting average to .478 (11-of-23).
San Francisco sends 20-year-old lefty Madison Bumgarner to the mound Monday. Bumgarner has won two straight starts, allowing just one run in 14 innings.
Bumgarner (2-2) has a 2.57 ERA in four starts. He has struck out 21 and walked just five in 28 innings since being recalled from the minors in late June.
Los Angeles is expected to recall James McDonald to make Monday’s start. It will be McDonald’s first major-league appearance of the season.
Last season, McDonald went 5-5 with a 4.00 ERA in 45 games. He made four starts.
The Dodgers are hoping that left fielder Manny Ramirez (calf), first baseman James Loney (hamstring) and catcher Russell Martin (thumb) will return to the lineup. The availability of the trio will be decided prior to game time.
Ramirez suffered his latest injury Friday during his second game since being activated from the disabled list due to a hamstring injury.