Dodgers News & Notes: Luis Cruz Starting Off Hot

While we wait for news on Dee Gordon's dislocated thumb, here are some Dodgers notes as they head into their four-game weekend series in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

• Luis Cruz has an RBI in each of his three games since getting promoted on Monday. Cruz is the first player to have an RBI in each of his first three games as a Dodger since current assistant general manager Bill Mueller from April 3-5, 2006. The last player to have an RBI in his first four games as a Dodger was Jimmy Wynn, who had an RBI in his first six games as a Dodger from April 5-10, 1974.
• Since his hitless streak reached 0-for-28 on Sunday, James Loney is 5-for-10 with a double and a walk.
• Elian Herrera, who walked 18 times in his first 30 games, hasn't walked since June 16, a span of 17 games and 59 plate appearances. Herrera is 10-for-58 with a hit-by-pitch during that span.
• Tony Gwynn Jr. is 0-for-9 in July.
• A.J. Ellis has swung at the first pitch somewhere between 12-14 times in 259 plate appearances this season, a major league low 5% of the time. Ellis has put six first pitches in play this year, and is 4-for-5 with a double and a sacrifice.
• Since homering in the first inning in Anaheim on June 22, Bobby Abreu is 3-for-33 with three walks and 10 strikeouts. The Dodgers as a team have one home run in 12 games since that Abreu home run.
• Scott Van Slyke is 2-for-16 with a walk and six strikeouts since his return from Triple A.
• Ronald Belisario has retired all nine batters he has faced in July, including four by strikeout.
• In his last six outings, Kenley Jansen has retired 18 of 19 batters he has faced, allowing no hits and just one walk in six innings, with nine strikeouts.
• LHP Steven Rodriguez, the Dodgers' second round pick out of the University of Florida who signed on Tuesday night, signed for a reported $610,800, the full slot value for that pick per Jim Callis of Baseball America. That put the Dodgers $98,500 over the draft cap, meaning they will have to pay a tax of 75%, or $73,875, per Callis.

Tonight's Pitching Matchup

Yes, Nathan Eovaldi has received almost literally no run support this season, as the Dodgers have scored five runs in his seven starts including just three runs with him in the game. They have scored more than one run in an Eovaldi start just once, when they erupted for two runs at Coors Field on June 3.

But what's more troublesome from Eovaldi is that he has five walks and three strikeouts in his last three starts. He simply hasn't been missing bats and it has showed up, especially in his last two starts. Eovaldi has allowed 13 runs and 17 hits in 10 1/3 innings in his last two starts. He tries to improve that 0-5 record Thursday night at the site of his major league debut.

Eovaldi got the win last August 6 at Chase Field, but is 0-7 with a 3.97 ERA in 12 starts since then, with nearly as many walks (29) as strikeouts (37) in 68 major league innings.

Wade Miley allowed one run in four consecutive starts, with two walks and 28 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings during that span, but he was bombed in his last start. Miley allowed three home runs and eight runs in 3 2/3 innings on Saturday in Milwaukee.

Game Time: 6:40 p.m.

TV: Prime Ticket

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