The Los Angeles Dodgers return home for a nine-game homestand beginning Monday night with a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the second time Arizona has visited Dodger Stadium this season. It will also mark the home debut of Hanley Ramirez as a Dodger.
The Dodgers just completed their second 7-3 road trip of the season, punctuated by a three-game weekend sweep in San Francisco that saw them erase a three-game deficit in the National League West, and Ramirez was at the center of the action.
In five games as a Dodger, Ramirez is hitting .333/.417/.619, and one of his seven hits was a two-run home run in extra innings to beat the Giants on Friday. He has seven runs batted in, and has scored five times. He has at least one hit and one run scored in all five games as a Dodger.
| 2012 Dodgers vs. D-Backs | ||
| May 14: | at LA 3, Arizona 1 | |
| May 15: | Arizona 5, at LA 1 | |
| May 21: | LA 6, at Arizona 1 | |
| May 22: | LA 8, at Arizona 7 | |
| May 23: | at Arizona 11, LA 4 | |
| July 5: | LA 4, at Arizona 1 | |
| July 6: | at Arizona 5, LA 3 | |
| July 7: | at Arizona 5, LA 3 | |
| July 8: | at Arizona 7, LA 1 | |
Arizona has won five of the nine meetings between these two teams this season, including a split at Dodger Stadium on May 14-15.
Aaron Harang gets the start in Monday's opener, looking to continue his hot July. In four starts during the month Harang has a 2.39 ERA with 22 strikeouts and nine walks in 26 1/3 innings. He has pitched at least seven innings in three of his four July starts and is 2-0 during the month.
The Dodgers haven't had much success against Trevor Cahill this season, as he allowed one run in six innings on May 22 in a no-decision, then allowed three runs in seven innings in a win on July 7. Both previous Cahill starts against the Dodgers were in Arizona.
Luis Cruz has a 12-game hitting streak, continuing to fill in ably at shortstop with Dee Gordon on the disabled list. In addition to his hitting streak, Cruz is hitting .400 (10-for-25) with runners in scoring position, and has knocked in 16 runs in 22 games this season. He knocked in two runs in Sunday's 4-0 win in San Francisco.
Arizona, like the Dodgers, is 7-3 in their last 10 games, though their success came at home. Monday is the beginning of a 10-game road trip for the Diamondbacks, who are four and a half games behind both the Dodgers and Giants in the National League West.
Jason Kubel has been red hot in July for Arizona. Kubel, who nearly signed with the Dodgers before deciding to join the Diamondbacks as a free agent, has 11 home runs, 22 RBI, and 18 runs scored in 22 games in July, hitting .282/.364/.769. Kubel's 72 runs batted in rank second in the National League, one behind Carlos Beltran of the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Dodgers are 29-20 at home this season. Arizona is 21-27 on the road.
For more on the Dodgers, check out True Blue LA. For all the latest on the Diamondbacks, be sure to read than AZ Snake Pit and SB Nation Arizona.
