If you hear a loud "garumph!" emanating from the heavens, it's because interleague play begins in earnest today, as the A's host the Dodgers, Barry Zito vs. Brett Tomko. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Dodgers' season to date has been their league-leading run production. Key contributors have included Nomar Garciaparra, who is batting .351 (185 at-bats), and Matt Kemp, whose ledger after 48 at-bats sits at .375 with 7 HRs. A couple of very familiar faces, Jeff Kent and Olmedo Saenz, round out the heart of the Dodger attack.
Meanwhile, tonight the A's try to hold onto first place, which is a lot more fun than trying to get there. With Milton Bradley's shoulder still bothering him, and Frank Thomas on the DL, the lineup is still a bit patchwork. On the one hand, tonight's A's lineup features one of the less powerful #3 hitters you'll find, but on the other hand it also features one of the hottest #8 hitters you'll find--the A's are 9-0 in the last nine games that Dan Johnson has started, as Johnson has gone 15/29 (.517).
The starting lineups:
Furcal
Lofton
Garciaparra
Kent
Saenz
Kemp
Cruz Jr.
Martin
Martinez
Kendall
Swisher
Melhuse
Chavez
Crosby
Johnson
Kielty
Payton
Scutaro
UPDATE: Kotsay was scratched from original lineup
