Dodger Daily Notes Game 141
Home Game 73 Arizona Diamondbacks (71-68) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (70-70)
Fri., September 5, 20087:08 p.m. PT
Night Game 111 RHP Dan Haren (14-7, 3.24) vs. RHP Derek Lowe (11-11, 3.69) Dodger Stadium
TONIGHT’S SHOWDOWN – The Dodgers tonight begin a key three-game series with the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks. This weekend will mark the final games against Arizona this season and the Dodgers currently trail the season series 8-7. Los Angeles is currently 3-0 on its six-game homestand after sweeping the Padres earlier this week. On Monday, the club will embark on a 10-game, 11-day road trip to San Diego (3), Colorado (3), and Pittsburgh (4).
THAT’S TIGHT – The Dodgers enter play tonight 1.5 games back of first place. The 1.5-game deficit is the club’s smallest since being 1.0 game behind on August 19 after an 8-3 loss vs. Colorado .
►The Dodgers have won five games in a row, which is their longest winning streak since winning five consecutive from August 11-15. Los Angeles won a season-best eight in a row from April 25-May 3.
HIGH FIVE – The Dodgers on Wednesday improved to a resounding 49-6 when scoring five or more runs. They have won 10 such games in a row, last losing on August 6 at St. Louis with a 9-6 setback. The Dodgers have scored at least five runs in five straight games for just the second time all year. They also scored five or more in five consecutive games from April 29-May 3, all of which were wins.
LOVING L.A. – The Dodgers have won four straight at home and 12 of their last 15 at Dodger Stadium. Beginning July 13, the final day before the All-Star break, Los Angeles has gone 18-6 along Elysian Park Avenue. The Dodgers are 42-30 at home overall. Their 42 wins are the second most in the National League, behind only the Chicago Cubs (51-24).
►In winning 12 of their last 15 at home, the Dodgers have scored 78 runs for an average of 5.2 runs per game. They are hitting .310 (156-for-503) with 24 homers in that span.
THIS IS HIS HOUSE – Dodger starter Derek Lowe has been stellar of late, going 2-1 with a 1.32 ERA (4 ER/27.1 IP) in his last four outings. At home, Lowe been even more impressive. In fact, since the end of June, Lowe ranks third in the Majors with a 1.66 ERA at home:
Lowest Home ERA, June 29 to Present (minimum 40 IP)
Johan Santana, NYM 1.25
Jake Peavy, SD 1.54
Derek Lowe, LAD 1.66 (9/48.2)
Rich Harden, ChC 1.80
Roy Halladay, Tor 1.86
►Overall, Lowe owns a 2.64 ERA (30 ER/102.1 IP) at home, which ranks third in the National League. On the road, the sinker-balling right-hander’s ERA is 5.06.
Source: STATS, LLC
SIMPLY THE BEST- The Dugout Club at Dodger Stadium was tabbed as the best seat in the NL, the best premium seat in Major League Baseball, and third-best overall seat in MLB, according to USA Today. The newspaper recently completed its search for the “best seat in the house,” in a 10-part series unveiled last week.
HOMER HAPPY – Since the July 31 acquisition of Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers have hit 41 home runs in 32 games, including 10 by the 12-time All-Star himself. The 41 homers beginning on August 1 account for 36 percent of the Dodgers’ season homer total of 115. Los Angeles had hit only 74 home runs in its first 108 games. Los Angeles is out-homering the opposition 12-2 in the last five games, 16-6 in the last eight games, and 41-31 in the last 32 contests beginning on August 1.
►Andre Ethier has hit eight homers in his last 19 games, and leads the team with 19 overall.
PLEASE DON’T WALK HIM – Dodger left fielder Manny Ramirez continues to make Diamondbacks’ pitchers pay for challenging him. In six games this year with the Dodgers against the D’Backs, Ramirez is batting .696 (14-for-23) with four home runs, four doubles, four walks, seven RBI, 11 runs scored, a .747 on-base percentage and a 1.391 slugging percentage. The reigning National League Player of the Month recently hit his 520th home run, which leaves him one homer shy of Willie McCovey, Ted Williams, and Frank Thomas for 17th place on the baseball’s all-time home run list. This year, Ramirez has surpassed Hall of Famers Eddie Murray (504), Mel Ott (511), Ernie Banks (512), and Eddie Mathews (512).
MR. SEPTEMBER – Dodger first baseman James Loney saw his 13-game hitting streak end Wednesday night after going 0-for-4, but still owns one of the best September averages in the last few years:
Highest Batting Avg. in September, 2006-2008 (min. 150 PA)
Alex Rodriguez, NYY .377
Garrett Atkins, COL .372
James Loney, LAD .372 (55-148)
Moises Alou, NYM .369
Albert Pujols, STL .368
TONIGHT ON THE TUBE FSN Prime Ticket/ESPN
TONIGHT ON RADIO KABC 790 (English)
KHJ 930 (Spanish)
2008 DODGERS vs. DIAMONDBACKS
DATE/SITE SCORE WP LP SV ATT
4/7 ARI L, 3-9 Haren Loaiza ---- 49,057
4/8 ARI L, 5-10 Davis Billingsley ---- 28,973
4/9 ARI L, 3-4 Owings Kuroda Lyon 23,331
4/23 LA W, 8-3 Lowe Haren Saito 42,590
4/24 LA L, 4-6 Gonzalez Billingsley Lyon 38,350
7/18 ARI W, 8-7 (11) Wade Slaten Broxton 38,561
7/19 ARI L, 2-3 Haren Billingsley Lyon 41,458
7/20 ARI W, 6-5 Troncoso Lyon Broxton 39,217
7/31 LA L, 1-2 Webb Lowe Lyon 42,440
8/1 LA L, 1-2 Johnson Park Lyon 55,239
8/2 LA W, 4-2 Kuroda Petit Park 54,544
8/3 LA W, 9-3 Wade Davis ---- 52,972
8/29 ARI L, 3-9 Davis Kuroda ---- 32,610
8/30 ARI W, 6-2 Billingsley Haren ---- 49,045
8/31 ARI W, 8-1 Lowe Webb ---- 43,456
9/5
9/6
9/7
2008 at Chase Field: Dodgers 4, Diamondbacks 5
All-time at Chase Field: Dodgers 47, Diamondbacks 47
2008 at Dodger Stadium: Dodgers 3, Diamondbacks 3
All-Time at Dodger Stadium: Dodgers 48, Diamondbacks 39
2008 Record: Dodgers 7, Diamondbacks 8
All-Time Record: Dodgers 96, Diamondbacks 87
UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES (All times Pacific) –
Date Time Opponent Probable Pitchers TV
Saturday, September 6 12:55 p.m. vs. ARI RHP Brandon Webb (19-6, 3.19) vs. RHP Chad Billingsley (13-10, 3.13) FOX
Sunday, September 7 1:10 p.m. vs. ARI LHP Randy Johnson (10-9, 4.21) vs. LHP Clayton Kershaw (3-5, 4.50) PRIME
D. Lowe is one of those "big game" pitchers and this series is going to have a playoff feel to it. Edge to Lowe and the Dodgers I think. Plus Dodgers hit Haren pretty good last weekend in Arizona. Who do you like?
i like az, i think better team, better pen, and slightly better pitcher
i know haren got lit lately but even the best get hit sometimes
hard to ignore a dog at +125 in first place right?
Thats a great point. If both pitchers are on, then it could be a 3-2 type game. Dodger Stadium is known as a pitchers park so I might avoid the side and look at the total.
By day's end, I would have lost 10 of 11 bets. By far the worst betting day (percentage-wise) I've ever had. Thank god I covered it with LAD over 3 1/2. Thank you for the Ethier/Ramirez entry!
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