Just chill, Giants—we got this.
After sweeping aside the San Francisco Giants in a three-game series, the San Diego Padres had the favor returned to them by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The sweep put the Dodgers just two games back of the Friars for first place, and San Diego now sits just a half-game ahead of the Giants.
For the Dodgers, it marked their seventh win in a row and ninth in their last 10 games. The Dodgers finished the road trip a perfect 6-0, having swept the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks before arriving in San Diego.
So what major breaking news could top a seven-game winning streak?
How about Andre Ethier fracturing the pinky finger on his right hand during pre-game batting practice?
Ethier was having a marvelous day in the cage prior to Saturday’s game at PETCO Park when he suddenly stiffened up and promptly left the cage. Wincing and shaking his right hand, the right fielder was clearly in pain.
Andre was hastily removed from the starting lineup, replaced by Garret Anderson. An X-ray during the game revealed a fracture in his right pinky, and a splint has been placed over the bottom knuckle to prevent flexion as the swelling subsides.
Ethier told manager Joe Torre his pinky simply slipped under the knob of the bat, and the pressure of swinging and making contact cracked a knuckle.
The injury comes at a time when the Dodgers are riding high, but their recent success is largely in part to Ethier’s hot streak. The lefty slugger currently is the Triple Crown leader in the National League. Ethier is hitting .491 with 16 RBI in May.
With the recent stability and success of the Dodgers’ starting pitching, the win streak has been supported by just enough offense. If Ethier is out for a longer stretch than his ankle injury, Reed Johnson and Garret Anderson will once again be called on to pick up the slack.
Anderson tripled on Saturday but is currently hitting a meager .136, good for worst on the roster amongst position players (starting pitcher Chad Billingsley is batting .154). Johnson provides range in the outfield, but he too is struggling at the dish, batting just .224 with a .233 on-base percentage.
The team plans on announcing Ethier’s recovery time on Monday or Tuesday. However, if the Dodgers intend on staying the course, the news will have to be extremely positive.
The Dodgers open a brief tea-and-crumpets, two-game series with the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium Monday, followed by a three-game series with the division-leading Padres. The Astros have been dreadful this season, and the Dodgers will look to continue recent success before taking on a hungry Padres squad seeking revenge.
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