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Andre Ethier, Hitting Lefties, Hitting Extra-Base Hits

Andre Ethier has more home runs against left-handers this year than he had last year.
Andre Ethier has more home runs against left-handers this year than he had last year.

In the seventh inning of Monday night's 6-1 win by the Dodgers over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Andre Ethier hit a solo home run that at the time gave the Dodgers a 3-1 lead. It was nearly a one-handed, one-legged swing, perhaps an homage to current Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson and his October heroics 24 years ago.

The home run was Ethier's ninth of the season and gave him 23 extra-base hits on the year, in just 42 team games. That is tied for the third most extra-base hits at this point in the season since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles.

Most Extra-Base Hits Through 42 Games, Dodgers
Player Year 2B 3B HR XBH
Shawn Green 2000 15 1 9 25
Tim Wallach 1994 12 1 11 24
Andre Ethier 2012 13 1 9 23
Tommy Davis 1962 10 3 10 23
Ron Cey 1977 9 1 13 23
Pedro Guerrero 1987 8 2 13 23
Raul Mondesi 1994 12 5 6 23
Raul Mondesi 1999 6 1 16 23
Jimmy Wynn 1974 5 3 14 22
Raul Mondesi 1995 9 3 10 22
Gary Sheffield 2000 6 2 14 22
Eric Karros 2000 9 0 13 22
Andre Ethier 2010 11 0 11 22
Source: Baseball-Reference.com

Earlier today, it was thought that Ethier had 22 extra-base hits, but a scoring change was made to last Thursday's game in San Diego. What was originally a two-base error by Cameron Maybin of the Padres is now an RBI double for Ethier.

Ethier's home run Monday was off Craig Breslow, the second home run Ethier has against southpaws this season. That's one more than he hit all of last season, when he hit .220/.258/.305 with 13 RBI in 151 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.

This season, Ethier is hitting .323/.384/.508 against lefties, with four doubles, one triple, and two home runs and 17 RBI in 73 plate appearances. With runners in scoring position against left-handers this year, Ethier is 8-for-19 with a double, a triple, two walks, and a sacrifice fly, hitting .421/.455/.579, with 14 RBI.

Tonight's Pitching Matchup

Aaron Harang has three quality starts in his three May starts, including allowing just one total run in 15 innings in his last two starts. After just two strikeouts in his first two starts this month, Harang struck out six with no walks last Thursday in San Diego.

Trevor Cahill has made three home starts this season, and he has allowed exactly four earned runs in each one. In 16 2/3 innings at home he has allowed 15 total runs, with seven walks and seven strikeouts.

Game Time: 6:40 p.m.

TV: KCAL

MLB Gameday