So far this 2011 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have played, well, as expected. Going into Tuesday’s action against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, the Dodgers are a mediocre 16-20 on the season and are in fourth place in a weak National League West division. The Dodgers’ ownership continues to hang in the balance as the team may struggle to meet payroll next month. However, right fielder Andre Ethier is having a great start to his individual performance, notably batting a team-leading .368 and, more importantly, coming off a 30-game hit streak, just one game shy of breaking the Dodgers team record.
How long have the Dodgers been around? That’s saying quite a lot for the young phenom.
Ethier’s streak ended this past Saturday night against, of all teams, the Mets, who don Dodger blue as part of their uniform and logo as a tribute to the old Brooklyn Dodgers. Ethier went 0-4 that night. The next day, though, he led his team to victory with a two-run job off and R.A. Dickey change-up in the 7th inning. The Dodgers haven’t had a whole lot to celebrate thus far this year. But Ethier’s streak, and hitting in 31 of 32 games with four homers, are a positive thing for this team … as well as for baseball.