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Ethier aims for club record-tying 31-game hit streak vs. Mets

May 7, 2011 - 2:57 PM (Sports Network) - Andre Ethier is one hit away from matching the longest hitting streak in Dodgers history. He would prefer to celebrate the milestone with a victory.

Los Angeles hopes to snap a three-game slide this evening in the continuation of a three-game series with the New York Mets at Citi Field.

Ethier took the drama out of Friday's game early by singling in the first inning and ended with three hits one day after sitting out a game with elbow inflammation. The outfielder broke his tie with Zack Wheat (29 games in 1916) for the second-longest hitting streak in Dodgers history and is one shy of Willie Davis' club record 31-game burst set in 1969.

"It's neat, but it's not helping snap this little skid we're on," Ethier said of the streak. "It's a nice personal thing, but besides that we need to start figuring out ways to get this thing going."

The 29-year-old Ethier, who is batting .397 over his run, is also the first player to have a hit streak of 30 games since Washington's Ryan Zimmerman, who did so from April 8-May 12, 2009. A hit tonight would also give Ethier baseball's longest hitting streak since Chase Utley of Philadelphia went on a 35-game burst from June 23-Aug. 3, 2006.

Ethier does draw a favorable matchup tonight in New York right-hander Chris Young, who he is 12-for-29 (.414) against lifetime with six homers and 10 RBI.

Young, meanwhile, will try to figure out a way to handle Ethier and continue his solid start to the season.

Despite a 1.88 earned run average in four starts, Young hasn't factored into the decision in his last three outings since winning his Mets debut on April 5. He threw seven scoreless innings in Philadelphia on Sunday, scattering two hits and three walks with seven strikeouts in his club's eventual 2-1 victory in extra innings.

The 31-year-old former Padre, who missed time briefly this season with shoulder tendinitis, has made 14 career starts against the Dodgers and is only 2-5 with a 4.02 ERA.

Young will try to pitch the Mets to a third straight win after last night's 6-3 triumph. Jason Pridie had the big blow while down a run in the sixth inning as he followed an Ike Davis intentional walk with a three-run homer off Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda to put the Mets ahead for good.

"I'm not insulted. When you have Ike Davis at the plate and you have Jason Pridie behind him, odds are you're going to want to pitch to Jason Pridie," Pridie joked.

Davis also homered for the Mets.

Taking the hill for the Dodgers is Jon Garland, who brings a 1-2 record and 3.81 ERA through four starts into this outing.

The right-hander allowed five runs in his season debut on April 15, a loss to the Cardinals, but has given up just six runs total over his past three starts. He is just 1-1 in that span, though, and lost to the Padres on Sunday after yielding three runs on three hits and four walks over six innings with a season-best eight strikeouts in the 7-0 defeat.

"Jon always finds a way to keep himself in the game, but we just couldn't help him out," said LA manager Don Mattingly.

The 31-year-old Garland has split two career decisions versus the Mets in four starts with a 3.00 ERA.

The Mets took four of seven from the Dodgers last season, winning all three games at Citi Field.