Final
  for this game

Dodgers-Cubs Preview

May 31, 2009 - 1:32 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Los Angeles (34-16) at Chicago (24-23), 8:05 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the highest-scoring team in the NL, but their offense has done next to nothing since arriving at Wrigley Field.

The Dodgers hope to get their bats untracked Sunday night and salvage a split of their four-game series against the Chicago Cubs.

Los Angeles (34-17) has scored 279 runs - by far the most in the NL - but been held to three in this series. The Dodgers won 2-1 on Thursday, lost 2-1 on Friday and fell 7-0 on Saturday.

"We have to look at this, we're very fortunate that we've scored three runs in three games and we have one win. We're certainly more capable of doing more damage but we haven't done it. But you have to give most of the credit to the two guys who pitched against us these two days," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said Saturday.

This is the lowest-scoring three-game stretch of the Dodgers' season. Leadoff hitter Juan Pierre is 2 for 11 in the series, Orlando Hudson is 1 for 10 and James Loney 2 for 12.

Los Angeles has not lost three straight all season.

Chicago (25-23) has gotten seven innings from each starter in this series, with Ryan Dempster yielding three hits Saturday. He struck out five and walked one to help hand the Dodgers their worst loss of the season.

Milton Bradley had three hits and Reed Johnson homered Saturday for the Cubs, who have won four of five since losing a season-worst eight straight games. Mike Fontenot added a double, triple and two RBIs.

Fontenot is receiving the bulk of playing time at third base now with Aramis Ramirez out.

"(Fontenot) is basically our best third baseman, our best option over there," manager Lou Piniella told the Cubs' official Web site. "We feel very comfortable with him over there. I hope he feels as comfortable as we feel with him."

The Dodgers have struck out 21 times while drawing just 10 walks in the series.

They will try to do better against Sean Marshall (3-3, 3.70 ERA), who will get the ball for his eighth start of the year with the Cubs. He pitched all five innings in a rain-shortened 6-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Tuesday, giving up four hits while striking out six.

The left-hander will make his third career start versus the Dodgers. He is 0-0 with a 5.19 ERA in the first two, and hasn't lasted past the fifth inning.

Eric Milton (1-0, 3.00) will make his third start of the season with Los Angeles. Promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque on May 14, Milton won his last outing Tuesday at Colorado by yielding one run in five innings in a 7-1 victory.

The veteran left-hander is 3-1 with a 6.70 ERA in eight career starts at Wrigley Field, where he hasn't pitched since 2006.

Facing Milton may help Alfonso Soriano, who is 6 for 12 in his career versus the southpaw. The slumping Soriano is 6 for 45 (.133) with 17 strikeouts in his last 11 games.






  • 10
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    MattDOOM777 Added 5 roots

    Dodgers 8, Cubs 2  FinalJun 1 1:14 AM


  • NL
    FINAL
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    LA DODGERS 5 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 8 12 0
    CHICAGO CUBS 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 9 2 (FINAL)

    BATTERIES: LOS - ERIC MILTON, RONALD BELISARIO (6TH), RAMON TRONCOSO (8TH),
    JONATHAN BROXTON (9TH) AND RUSSELL MARTIN
    CHN - SEAN MARSHALL, JOSE ASCANIO (5TH), JASON WADDELL
    (

    May 31 11:14 PM


  • NL
    AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
    DOUBLE BY REED JOHNSON SCORED RYAN THERIOT AND MILTON
    BRADLEY.
    SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, R JOHNSON ON SECOND, D LEE ON THIRD, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 8
    CHICAGO CUBS 2 BOTTOM, 6TH
    DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: G SOTO (.211, 0-FOR-2)

    Dodgers 8, Cubs 2  Bot 6, 0 OutsMay 31 9:59 PM


  • NL
    AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
    ERROR BY GEOVANY SOTO ALLOWED JAMES LONEY TO SCORE.
    SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, M KEMP ON SECOND, 2 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 8
    CHICAGO CUBS 0 TOP, 5TH
    DUE UP FOR LA DODGERS: J HOFFMANN (.250, 0-FOR-1, SF, RBI)

    Dodgers 8, Cubs 0  Top 5, 0 OutsMay 31 9:34 PM


  • NL
    AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
    DOUBLE BY JAMES LONEY SCORED RUSSELL MARTIN.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J LONEY ON SECOND, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 7
    CHICAGO CUBS 0 TOP, 5TH
    DUE UP FOR LA DODGERS: M KEMP (.304, 1-FOR-2, HR, RBI)

    Dodgers 7, Cubs 0  Top 5, 0 OutsMay 31 9:25 PM


  • NL
    AT CHICAGO CUBS - SCORING UPDATE
    SOLO HOME RUN BY MATT KEMP (6) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 2 OUT IN
    THE 3RD OFF SEAN MARSHALL.
    CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 6, CHICAGO CUBS 0
    DUE UP FOR LA DODGERS: M LORETTA (.320, 1-FOR-1, 2 RBI)

    Dodgers 6, Cubs 0  Top 3, 0 OutsMay 31 8:54 PM
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    #1 Cards Fan Added 5 roots

    Dodgers 6, Cubs 0  Bot 3, 0 OutsMay 31 8:53 PM


  • NL
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    LA DODGERS 5 5 6 0
    CHICAGO CUBS 0 0 0 (BOT 1)

    CURRENT PITCHERS: LOS - ERIC MILTON
    CHN - SEAN MARSHALL

    DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: A SORIANO (.246, 12 HR, 25 RBI)
    R THERIOT (.288, 5 HR, 22 RBI)
    M BRADLEY (.223, 5 HR, 14 RB

    Dodgers 5, Cubs 0  Bot 1, 0 OutsMay 31 8:27 PM