Ethier brings 29-game hit streak to NYC

Last May, Ethier bailed out closer Jonathan Broxton with a game-ending grand slam against Milwaukee’s LaTroy Hawkins after Broxton blew a save chance in the top of the ninth. He’s becoming a constant on highlight shows.

“It’s always refreshing to see a guy who puts in all that work and does everything the right way, as far as preparing himself for a game, to get rewarded and have that kind of success,” said Johnson, now with the Cubs. “Andre just doesn’t get out of his plan or what he wants to do at the plate, no matter what the situation is.”

Ethier is making $9.25 million this year in the final season of a $15.25 million, two-year deal and is eligible for free agency after the 2012 season. Speaking ahead of opening day in March, he told The Associated Press he was uncertain of his long-term future in Los Angeles.

“This is my sixth one, and who knows? It might be my last one here with the Dodgers. You never know. A lot of signs are pointing that way, so we’ll have to see. Six years for a Dodger is a long time, in the era that we’re living in. So I’m going to cherish every moment I can, enjoy the season and try to make it my best one.”

That, he appears to be doing.

“Andre expects the best from himself all the time,” Colletti said. “Sometimes in the past, it could get the better of him from time to time. But this year I’ve seen him have very few moments like that, and I think he’s starting to figure it out.”

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.