Dodgers Try For Ten In Rematch With Padres

The Dodgers go for their 10th win in a row tonight, in the start of another two game series, this one with the first place Padres.  As the Dodgers attempt a perfect 10, it is worth noting that Bo Belinsky, Derek Lowe, and Derek Thompson have played home games at Dodger Stadium.  The Dodgers are 10-4 in these early season "squeeze week" back-to-back two-game series since the beginning of 2007.

Tonight is a pitching rematch from Friday night in San Diego, with Ramon Ortiz facing Jon Garland.  Carlos Monasterios hasn't pitched in a week, so expect him to be the first reliever up in the bullpen.  Garland has made four career starts at Dodger Stadium, all of which came last season.  Garland allowed six total runs in 27 innings at Chavez Ravine, and the Dodgers won all four games.  May that streak continue tonight.

The Dodgers are 12-3 against the NL West this season, and have won 11 of their last 15 games against the Padres at Dodger Stadium.  A Dodger win tonight coupled with a Giants' loss in Arizona would mean a share of first place for the Dodgers for the first time this season.

Double Triple

Since the beginning of the 2000 season, there have been almost twice as many triples hit in Dodger road games (396) than in Dodger home games (212).  I can't remember Dodger Stadium ever being a friendly park for triples, which makes Blake DeWitt's Monday all the more rare.  DeWitt had two triples, the 19th such game for the Dodgers since they moved to Los Angeles.  However, only five of those games have been at Dodger Stadium.  In fact, there have only been 11 games ever at Dodger Stadium, which opened in 1962, in which a player hit two triples:

The Angels played their home games in Dodger Stadium from 1962 to 1965, after a year at the Coliseum, back when they had legitimate reason to call themselves the Los Angeles Angels.

Notes

• Tonight is the 20th straight start at catcher for Russell Martin, the 16th such streak (or 17th, if you count Mike Scioscia's strike-assisted 1981 streak) in LA Dodger history.  Only Jason Kendall, who started 21 straight games for the Royals from April 20 to May 12, has a longer streak of consecutive catcher starts than Martin this season.
  
• Jack Moore of Fangraphs takes a stab at evaluating Andre Ethier and his replacements in right field
• Chad Moriyama of Memories of Kevin Malone has notes on Dodger prospects at Inland Empire and Great Lakes
• James Van Der Beek is throwing out the ceremonial first pitch tonight
• Manny Ramirez has 15 hits in 30 career at-bats with four doubles, three home runs, and 10 walks, and is hitting .500/.625/.933 in his career against Garland
• Detroit's rainout in Chicago Monday night affected their rotation such that their ace Justin Verlander pitches tonight in Oakland, meaning the Dodgers will miss him during this weekend's series at Dodger Stadium.  Now they don't have to worry about Verlander's 102 mph fastball in the ninth inning

Lineups

Xeifrank's simulation of today's game is here.

Game Time: 7:10pm

TV:  Prime Ticket

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