Sat Aug 30 10:30:50 2008

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Dodgers try to halt skid, gain ground in Arizona

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(Sports Network) - Halting their current season-high losing streak doesn't get any easier for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The club continues its three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who will send Dan Haren to the hill tonight at Chase Field.

The Dodgers have dropped eight in a row for the first time since July 19-26, 2006 after losing Friday's series opener to Arizona, 9-3. All of Los Angeles' setbacks have come on the road during its current 10-game road trip that ends with this series.

Overall, the Dodgers haven't won since a home victory over Colorado on August 21 and are now 26-40 on the road this year. LA has lost each of its last 10 road games, its longest skid as the visiting club since dropping 11 straight back on June 2-21, 1992.

Second in the National League West, the Dodgers have fallen five games under .500 (65-70) and 4 1/2 games back of first-place Arizona. Los Angeles can't afford to fall further behind the Diamondbacks in the race for the division, as it is 13 1/2 games off the wild card pace.

The Dodgers lost Friday despite a 4-for-4 game out of Manny Ramirez, who had two doubles, two runs scored and a walk. Ramirez is batting .400 (40-for-100) with seven homers, 23 RBI and 16 runs scored in 27 games with the Dodgers.

Los Angeles' offense did suffer a blow in yesterday's loss, as second baseman Jeff Kent left in the sixth inning with knee pain. He is slated to have an MRI on Saturday. He told the Dodgers' official Web site he has been playing in pain for the last six weeks.

The Dodgers' Kent-less lineup will face Haren, who has won six of his last seven decisions and is 14-6 on the season with a 3.10 earned run average. That includes a 10-3 mark in 14 home starts this year.

Haren got a no-decision versus the Padres on Monday, allowing two runs over seven innings while fanning 11. Despite the solid effort, he failed to match his career high in wins (15) set last year with Oakland.

The 27-year-old right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.96 ERA in five games (4 starts) lifetime versus the Dodgers. He is 2-1 in three starts against them this year, last defeating LA on July 19 with seven shutout frames.

Arizona backed Doug Davis' starting effort on Friday and halted a four-game losing streak of its own thanks to two RBI apiece from Stephen Drew, Conor Jackson and Adam Dunn. Justin Upton, activated from the 15-day disabled list prior to yesterday's win, had a pinch-hit double in his first action since July 8 due to an oblique injury.

The Diamondbacks will try to continue their success versus Chad Billingsley, who starts for the Dodgers. Billingsley is 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA in three starts against Arizona this year and 4-4 with a 3.91 ERA in 10 career outings against the club, all but two of those starts.

The right-hander has allowed three runs or less in each of his last nine starts, going 4-2 in that span with a 2.73 ERA. He did lose his past outing however after yielding three runs on seven hits versus Philadelphia on Sunday in a 5-0 setback.

On the season, the 24-year-old is 12-10 with a 3.15 ERA in 29 games (27 starts) this year and will set a new career high in wins with his next victory.

The Diamondbacks are 8-5 against Los Angeles in 2008 and have taken five of the seven tilts between the clubs in Phoenix this season.