Los Angeles @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 3, 2010 ) LA Dodgers 14, Arizona 1
James Loney, say hello to Paul Molitor and Tommy Herr.
By the end of the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ first baseman might be hearing a lot about these two former major leaguers.
Since 1950, Molitor (1996, Minnesota Twins) and Herr (1985, St. Louis Cardinals) are the only players to drive in 100 runs with less than 10 home runs. It might be rare over the last 60 seasons, but before that it happened 66 times from 1920 to 1950.
Loney is just about on pace to accomplish that feat with five home runs and 56 RBIs through 80 games. Chances are he will hit more home runs in the second half, as he has averaged 14 over the last three seasons along with 90 RBIs in the last two seasons.
What does it say about Loney as an offensive player? Clearly the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder has the size to be a power hitter, but the left-handed batter with a .295 career average is more than content to put the ball in play and using the whole field instead of looking to yank the ball to right field.
To put up such numbers, a player has to come through with runners on base. Loney is a career .330 hitter with runners in scoring position and is batting .370 with the bases loaded.
Loney, 26, looks to keep the RBIs rolling Sunday in the rubber game of the series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
The Dodgers will send out right-hander Chad Billingsley, who is making his second start since coming off the disabled list after sustaining a strained groin.
In his down time, Billingsley must have done some thinking about his repertoire. He flashed a cutter in his last outing to pitch effectively in a no-decision at San Francisco.
It’s about time he attempted something, as 2009 was his least productive full season in the big leagues. Billingsley (6-4, 4.25) is sporting the highest ERA of his career this year.
The Diamondbacks counter with a right-hander who also owns his worst career ERA since becoming a full-time starter for Oakland in 2005. Since then, Haren (7-6, 4.55) has only had one season where his ERA finished above 4.00.
The scary thing for Haren is the fact that his career the ERA is nearly a run worse (3.31 to 4.21) in the second half of the season. It’s also a fact that might make it harder to trade him as the restricting continues in Arizona.
The second day of the Kirk Gibson era is something AJ Hinch saw a lot of before being fired on Thursday as the Diamondbacks were hammered 14-1, giving up 15 hits and committing six errors.
Expect the Diamondbacks to play a much crisper brand of baseball in the series finale. Otherwise there might be a glimpse of the passion and intensity Gibson used to be successful as a player.