:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/4130072/125920003.jpg)
Dana Eveland makes the start for the Dodgers as they open their final series of the season, at Chase Field in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks. With Hiroki Kuroda and Ted Lilly in line to start the final two games of the season, the Dodgers will have received 139 starts from their planned starting five this season, including 130 from their top four.
Eveland will make the 31st and final start from the quintet of fifth starters used by the Dodgers this season. The group, led by Rubby De La Rosa, has pitched better, and longer, than the crew at the back end of the rotation last season:
| Dodgers Fifth Starters | |||||||||||
| Pitcher | Starts | QS | Record | Team | IP/GS | HR/9 | BB/9 | K/9 | ERA | FIP | WHIP |
| Garland | 9 | 7 | 1-5 | 2-7 | 6.00 | 1.00 | 3.33 | 4.67 | 4.33 | 4.68 | 1.389 |
| Rubby | 10 | 4 | 3-5 | 4-6 | 5.57 | 0.97 | 4.85 | 8.89 | 3.88 | 3.93 | 1.455 |
| Eovaldi | 6 | 3 | 1-2 | 4-2 | 5.33 | 0.56 | 4.78 | 6.47 | 3.09 | 4.11 | 1.313 |
| Eveland | 4 | 2 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 6.00 | 0.38 | 2.25 | 4.13 | 3.75 | 3.68 | 1.208 |
| Ely | 1 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 5.67 | 3.18 | 4.76 | 7.94 | 6.35 | 7.46 | 1.588 |
| 2011 Totals |
30 | 16 | 7-15 | 12-18 | 5.71 | 0.89 | 3.99 | 6.41 | 3.94 | 4.28 | 1.377 |
| 2010 Totals |
40 | 11 | 6-21 | 17-23 | 4.72 | 1.43 | 4.29 | 6.58 | 6.34 | 5.26 | 1.648 |
Eveland has had two good starts and two bad starts, with tonight as the nominal tiebreaker of sorts. Eveland is an interesting case because with just over three years of service time he will be salary arbitration eligible this winter. He won't figure to make much in arbitration (like, under $1 million), and could be a candidate to vie for a rotation spot next spring, with the only risk of tendering him a contract this winter the specter of paying him 30 or 45 days termination pay if he is cut in the spring. He turns 28 in October.
Triple Crown Watch
Matt Kemp in his career has hit .304/.335/.500 in 39 games, including 32 starts, at Chase Field, with seven home runs. This season, Kemp has seven hits in 24 at-bats in Phoenix, including two home runs. Against tonight's starter, Daniel Hudson, Kemp has two singles in eight at-bats, and all but one of those plate appearances have come this season.
The best-case scenario for Kemp in batting average on Monday is to go 5 for 5, raising his average to .3300, while Ryan Braun goes 0 for 5 (.3298) and Jose Reyes goes 0 for 2, 3, or 4, or 1 for 5, giving Kemp the overall lead.
Kemp is tied with Albert Pujols atop the league at 37 home runs. Pujols has one home runs in 52 career plate appearances against Rodriguez in his career.
Tonight's Opponent
Up until eight days ago, Daniel Hudson had more RBI on the season (14) than Jamey Carroll. But Jamey Carroll drove in a run in three of his last six games, and has 16 RBI on the season. Carroll has three days left to break his tie with Dave Roberts (2003) and Tony Smith (1910) for fewest RBI in a season by a Dodger with at least 400 plate appearances.
Hudson is 1-1 against the Dodgers this season, but he has only allowed three runs in 16 innings, with three walks and seven strikeouts. The Dodgers are 6-9 against the Diamondbacks this season, including 3-3 in Phoenix. All five series between the two teams this season have been decided two games to one, with Arizona winning four of the five, including all three series at Dodger Stadium.
Game Time: 6:40 p.m.
TV: Prime Ticket