Ethier pushes hitting streak to 21 as Kuroda leads Dodgers past Cubs, 7-3
Andre Ethier has picked off Steve Garvey. Now in his sights: Joe Torre.
Ethier continued his hot hitting Sunday, albeit initially with an infield single off the glove of first baseman Carlos Pena in the first inning, but it drove in the first of five runs to open the game as the Dodgers dropped the Cubs, 7-3, behind a strong outing by Hiroki Kuroda.
The infield hit extended Ethier’s career-high hitting streak to 21 games, surpassing Garvey’s previous club record for April of 20. Next up is Torre’s major-league record of 22 for April set in 1972.
First a would-be Dodgers owner, then a former Dodgers manager. Ethier doesn’t fear going after the big fish. Ethier later added a second hit in the ninth.
The last Dodger with a 21-game hitting streak was Nomar Garciaparra in 2006.
The first five Dodgers reached base safely in the first inning against Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano as the Dodgers jumped out to a 5-0 lead and never trailed.
Kuroda gave up two runs in the bottom of the inning, then dominated the Cubs over the next five innings.
He was lifted after allowing a run with two outs in the seventh. On another cold Wrigley Field afternoon, Kuroda recorded seven strikeouts in three innings. He did not strike out another batter and never allowed a walk. He gave up nine hits.
Kuroda has now had strong outings in all but one of his five starts this season, raising his record to 3-2 and lowering his earned-run average to 3.21.
The victory pushed the Dodgers back over the .500 mark at 12-11 and left them 4-1 since the organization was taken over by Major League Baseball.
RELATED:
Dodgers-Cubs: How the runs were scored
Dodgers and L.A.: Romance has soured but relationship is far from over
-- Steve Dilbeck
Photo: Dodgers starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda delivers a pitch in the first inning Sunday at Wrigley Field. Credit: Jerry Lai / US Presswire
I submit that instead of being a distraction for the players the MLB takeover of the team was a relief. It's still a long season, but let's enjoy the ride!
Posted by: howard | 04/24/2011 at 03:30 PM
Another Sunday without the KABC radio internet stream for Dodger Talk AFTER the game is long over. Thanks KABC, you big dummies.
Posted by: Fred Sanford | 04/24/2011 at 04:07 PM
always good to win
broxton just is not encouraging me at all - up 4, walked the first man, no longer 100 mph velocity, etc. - but he did the job ... so, thanks, appreciate that ... couple of nice catches behind him in the 9th
time to go fishing, maybe make some hay on the .500 mark before coming back home for the Padres...we're still a mess and lack in talent but we've won some, so ride it for all its worth...garland, kershaw, bills
Posted by: alanw19 | 04/24/2011 at 04:25 PM
Somehow the shadow over the Dodgers has been lifted, and the sun shines again.
Posted by: California Sun | 04/24/2011 at 06:53 PM
Look - up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... a mirage - cheap dudger home runs.
That they added to their totals via the necessary suspension of disbelief that be the confines Wrigley Field - 5 hrs in just 3 games compared 13 in 20 afore - speaks more to gale force winds than any improvement the offense.
dudgers have but two starters who can hit a hr in any park: kemp & barajas - the rest comprise imposters, blind squirrels moments...wing & prayer types.
That a thames has hit 2 hrs in only 25 at bats sounds well & good - until one considers that at his current pace he will bat less times and hit fewer hrs this year than last, a trend he's been repeating over each of the last 3 years now.
Rookie sands - the 'phenom' has looked every inch a dudger too: 0 hrs and 8 strikeouts in 26 at bats.... he was the new hope/next great tater-man; I'm not sure if his .154 can hold of the imminent return of gimenez (.143) or navarro (.194 in 2010.)
The underachiever swinging the matchstick in RF? He's turned into a #3 hitting slappy - Triple Crown thots evaporated quicker a budget surplus; stomachs be growling/things look grim at the rescue mission.
uribe was so incredulous aft hitting his first 2 hrs of the year ( in 2 days) that he got over-excited & hurt pinching himself.
The 'power corners' the infield casey & loney have gotten lucky thrice all of 2011 - combined... loney's .167 clarion call does however make blake's .321 seem a horn of plenty.
And faster than a New York minute, that's all the scraping .500 news that's fit to print LA Times like these...
Posted by: 16blows | 04/24/2011 at 09:54 PM
I've never heard of a hitting streak divided by month. Can someone show a link to an article where this has been done?
Posted by: Hollywood Dodger Mark | 04/24/2011 at 11:12 PM
16b with an excellent point on thames
Posted by: alanw19 | 04/25/2011 at 09:16 AM
16blows is a moron. Did Ethier stand you up or something?
Posted by: aaron d. | 04/25/2011 at 10:05 AM
16blows: your username and comment that only Kemp and Barajas are hitting right now gives you negative credibility, as well you know.
Oh, that's right. You only count a HR as a hit.
I guess you'd better go find an AL team to root for.
Posted by: Blueeyedgal | 04/25/2011 at 10:06 AM
Hey, it really IS all about me!
Where is Mark Scott from tv's 'Home Run Derby' show when we need him? Visions of Seals & Crofts - we may never pass this way again!
alanw19 - the only thing that rivals the giggles a dudger trying to hit a hr is watching a fielding contest between thames & Aubrey the Giant.
aaron d. - your 'baseball jones' be ros'e'y indeed... and myopic. 16 does not stand up like a man/hit hrs; rather, has morphed podsednik (sans speed.)
Blueeyedgal - get some new (per)spectacales nee 'ives'... that isn't what I said (re-read, adjust, bow down, then present me your mea culpa.)
Posted by: 16blows | 04/25/2011 at 10:51 AM
I don't get to see that many games in Dallas, so I enjoyed getting to see Jerry Sands play. He may end up back in the minors at some point this season, but I hope his hitting improves. I like the patience he was showing at the plate. In the first game, with a 3-1 count with the bases loaded, Russell threw him a pitch outside that would have looked like candy to Eric Karros, but Sands took the pitch for ball 4 to drive in a run. Loved the defensive play yesterday when he threw out Aramis Ramirez after a wide turn at second. I can't remember the last time I've seen a Dodger left fielder with a strong throwing arm and apparently the Cubs couldn't either.
I'm not sure if it's just the Braves and Cubs making the Dodgers look better than they are, or if they're positively responding to the issues with the team. But I've loved watching them!
Posted by: neoncactus | 04/25/2011 at 11:06 AM
Oh sweet little "16"... I have seen Uribe hit many 400ft hit HRs and while Wrigley may have accounted for the 2 he has so far what about the multiple multi-hit gms he's had lately? And while Kemp gets the headlines for walking off finally adding the intensity like busting his ass on every ground ball of late; Ethier is not merely slapping flares. He is digging in and hitting lasers everwhere on the field(doubling deep to center for Kemp's Card' walkoff and roping one deep down the line ahead of the brave walk-off with 2out and 2 strikes) while continuing to play underated defense. His handling of RF has been flawless and affirms that the eye is still better than any wishful saber-metric form of evaluating defensive ability. Thames has been exactly what he was signed for; to be the best RH power bat we've had off the bench since Saenz. If he wins 6gms for us this year he should be brought back with a raise. So far he has won 1 and contributed to a couple more which puts him on pace for 7.
Posted by: N.P.Krohn | 04/25/2011 at 01:15 PM
aubrey and thames fielding contest? Hmmmm.
Reminds me of pi, which is an irrational number with no end.
I lack the power to reason why either of the two left fielders would be preferred for their teams, and a contest of their fielding abilities could never end and yield a winner.
a giggle indeed
Posted by: alanw19 | 04/25/2011 at 02:30 PM
Oh N.P., I'm embraced by shame & as well unspeakably wounded... eh, no - not so much really.
(From the top boys: a one ~ a two)
"What ~ kind of ~ fool am I, who never fell for 'e', it seems that I'm the only one, who isn't convinced that he - is more than just a sham - a journeyman, more hype & less return - RC 'stead Triple Crown.
... (skipping/getting ahead of ourselves, like the Yaz/Robby delusions pablum fed the masses)
"His fans (both) defend the man, but I don't give a damn, for when all's said & done he'll be playyyyy-ingggg... Bos-tonnnnn!"
Thank you, thank you very much... uh huh huh.
________________
Posted by: 16blows | 04/25/2011 at 02:57 PM
Why isn't Juan Uribe playing ?
Posted by: John | 04/27/2011 at 04:22 AM