The Dodgers haven't had a winning June since 2003, so a slight drop from their lofty perch was expected this month. The club has gone 11-7 so far in June, and have the same division lead (8½ games) now as when the month began. Still, it was a little weird that, entering Saturday's game in Anaheim, no Dodger starter outside of Chad Billingsley had a June win. Jeff Weaver joined the starter winner club by beating his younger brother Saturday, and Clayton Kershaw followed suit on Sunday, although he and John Lackey are not related.
Hiroki Kuroda will try to make it three starter wins in a row tonight, as the Dodgers begin a three-game set at U.S. Cellular Field tonight at 5pm. Kuroda has given up five runs in each of his last two starts, but tonight faces a White Sox offense that is 12th in a 14-team American League in runs scored per game.
The White Sox are similar to the Dodgers in a way, in that they each have received a stellar performance from a perennially light-hitting outfielder this season. Scott Podsednik, who joined the Sox in May, is hitting .319/.372/.412 with the Sox, after hitting .260/.326/.356 over the last five seasons. The Sox are so enamored with Podsednik that they are mulling over the possibility of signing him beyond this year.
Left-hander John Danks will start for the White Sox.
In injury news, Carlos Quentin is on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis, and will miss the series. Jermaine Dye, nursing a sore left calf, was limited to pinch-hitting duty during the last two games in Cincinnati over the weekend, but is expected to play in this series.
Three Dodgers have an OPS of .800 or higher in June: Andre Ethier (.300/.347/.600), Matt Kemp (.355/.406/.484), and Rafael Furcal (.262/.375/.426).
The Dodgers are tied with the Red Sox for the best record in baseball (25-16) since May 7, the first day of the Manny Ramirez suspension.
Per the Dodger game notes, today is the 26th anniversary of the first time "The Infield" of Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, and Ron Cey all took the field together. They all started in the second game of a doubleheader against the Reds, and would go on to play a record 8½ years together.
Get your guesses in for "She Is Gone" here.
You can also watch or listen to the Manny game in Albuquerque, which begins at 6pm.