Arizona @ Los Angeles preview
Dodger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 1, 2010 ) Arizona 7, LA Dodgers 5
Arizona first baseman Adam LaRoche was scuffling in recent weeks with a milestone staring him in the face. He no longer needs to fret or worry.
The Diamondbacks' first baseman is a 100-RBI man for the first time in his seven-year major-league career and will look to add a few more to the ledger when Arizona faces the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night.
LaRoche had three RBIs during Arizona’s 7-5 victory on Friday night to finally reach the century mark.
He looked like a shoo-in when he had a torrid August and ended the month with 87 RBIs.
But September proved to be a painful month. After hitting .333 with nine homers and 23 RBIs in August, LaRoche batted just .198 with only one homer and 10 RBIs in September.
He got over the hump on Friday, which was Oct. 1 for the record. LaRoche reached 98 RBIs with a third-inning double and then smacked a two-run homer off John Ely in the fifth to get to 100. The homer was LaRoche’s 25th of the season.
The career-high production comes at a good time for the left-handed hitting power hitter. His contract calls for a $7.5 million mutual option for 2011 with a $1.5 million buyout. If the Diamondbacks or LaRoche decline the option, he hits the free-agent market.
LaRoche’s previous high for RBIs was 90, set in 2006 while he played with the Atlanta Braves.
He will face a pitcher he hits well on Saturday in Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley.
LaRoche has two homers and two doubles in 19 career at-bats against Billingsley for a .316 average and .737 slugging percentage.
Billingsley hasn’t won since defeating the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 3. He’s 0-3 in his last four starts despite twice giving up just one run in seven innings.
One of those outings was against the Diamondbacks in his last start when Billingsley received a no-decision while matching a career-high with 13 strikeouts.
Billingsley has posted an 8-5 career record with a 3.55 ERA in 20 appearances (18 starts) against Arizona.
A victory would give Billingsley (11-11, 3.61 ERA) four consecutive 12-win seasons, topped by a 16-victory campaign in 2008.
Left-hander Joe Saunders starts for the Diamondbacks and he faced Billingsley six days ago. He gave up two runs and six hits in five innings while also taking a no-decision in a game Arizona rallied to win against the Los Angeles bullpen.
Saunders is 3-6 with a 4.40 ERA in 12 starts for Arizona since being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels as part of the package for pitcher Dan Haren.
Dodgers first baseman James Long is 5-for-11 (.455) with a homer against Saunders, while third baseman Casey Blake is hitless in 12 career at-bats.