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When James Loney faces CC Sabathia, you can throw out the records! Right?

Dodgers have a .682 OPS against lefty starters this year
Yankees at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.

  • Rafael Furcal, SS
  • Russell Martin, C
  • Andre Ethier, RF
  • Manny Ramirez, LF
  • Matt Kemp, CF
  • James Loney, 1B
  • Casey Blake, 3B
  • Jamey Carroll, 2B
  • Vicente Padilla, P

In 629 at-bats against lefty starters this year, the Dodgers have a .682 OPS, with 41 doubles but only eight home runs. They also have one stolen base with a lefty starter on the mound.

Not too surprisingly, right-handed hitting Jamey Carroll is getting the start over left-handed hitting Blake DeWitt at second base against left-handed pitcher CC Sabathia. Perhaps surprisingly, this is a mistake by small-sample 2010 standards. DeWitt is OPSing .923 against lefty starters this year, Carroll .499.

For his career, DeWitt has an .809 OPS against lefty pitching and .699 against righties.

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A nice treat: Fernando Valenzuela recalls his underrated complete game victory in the 1981 World Series to Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com. I had never really heard Valenzuela talk about the game before.

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Here’s a preview from the Yankee perspective from our good friends at Bronx Banter.