Final
Dodgers-Diamondbacks Preview
Sep 8, 2009 - 3:33 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS WriterLos Angeles (81-57) at Arizona (61-77), 9:40 p.m. EDT
Putting together lengthy winning streaks wasn't unusual for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first two months of the season, but lately they can't even seem to string together two victories.
The Dodgers, who have alternated wins with losses for nine straight games, try to end that pattern Tuesday night as they continue a three-game set at Chase Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Los Angeles (82-57) won at least four in a row four times in April and May - including streaks of seven and eight - but it's had just one such streak since the beginning of June.
The Dodgers are 20-22 since July 26, and their inconsistency has especially been evident recently. Manager Joe Torre's team kept its recent win one, lose one pattern going with a 7-2 victory in Monday's series opener.
One major reason for Los Angeles' unpredictability has been the offensive struggles of Manny Ramirez. The slugger was hitting .259 with three homers and seven RBIs since Aug. 12 before going deep in the second inning Monday. One inning later, the 12-time All-Star was ejected when he flung his bat and helmet following a strikeout.
"I told (the umpire) the first pitch was a ball," Ramirez said. "I threw the helmet, and he threw me out. He's human. He's not a machine. He makes mistakes."
Ramirez has had no problem taking advantage of the few pitches he's seen from Billy Buckner (2-6, 8.29 ERA), who will get the ball Tuesday for Arizona (61-78). He's 3 for 5 with two homers versus the right-hander, who's 0-5 with an 11.10 ERA in his last five starts overall - four of which came in June.
Buckner was recalled Aug. 31, and made his first appearance since June on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. He gave up four runs and eight hits - including a solo homer to Ramirez - over six innings in a 4-2 loss.
Buckner is 1-1 with a 6.39 ERA in three games - two starts - against Los Angeles this season.
Chad Billingsley (12-9, 3.86) hasn't been nearly as ineffective as Buckner, but the Dodgers' win leader has lost his last three starts.
He gave up four runs Wednesday in Los Angeles, all in the fifth inning of a 4-1 loss to the Diamondbacks.
"I thought his stuff was good," Torre told the Dodgers' official Web site of Billingsley, who's 3-6 with a 5.18 ERA since June 19. "I thought he got frustrated, too, after having such an efficient first part of the game, but I thought mechanically he was back where he should be tonight. Today was a step forward for certain."
Despite the loss Wednesday, Billingsley is 3-1 with a 1.78 ERA in his last four starts against the Diamondbacks, striking out 29 in 25 1-3 innings.
Monday's loss was Arizona's fifth in a row to drop it into a last-place tie with San Diego in the NL West. The Diamondbacks are 6-10 against the Dodgers in 2009.
Arizona third baseman Mark Reynolds will certainly be happy to see the season series with Los Angeles wind down. Second in the majors with 41 homers, Reynolds is 9 for 57 with 25 strikeouts against the Dodgers.
He's 4 for 18 with two homers and seven strikeouts in his career against Billingsley.
- Diamondbacks 4, Dodgers 5 - FINAL
LA DODGERS ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
R Furcal ss 4 2 3 0 1 0 1 .258
M Kemp cf 5 1 1 1 0 0 3 .305
A Ethier rf 4 1 2 2 0 0 0 .282
M Ramirez lf 2 0 0 0 2 1 1 .302
H Kuo p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
J Broxton p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
J
Sep 9 12:41 AM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY RONNIE BELLIARD SCORED ANDRE ETHIER
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, R BELLIARD ON FIRST, J LONEY ON SECOND, M
RAMIREZ ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 5
ARIZONA 4 TOP,8TH
DUE UP FOR LA DODGERS: O HUDSON (.290, 2-FOR-3)
Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 4 Top 8, 0 OutsSep 9 12:05 AM - 35
roots - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JAMES LONEY SCORED MATT KEMP
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, J LONEY ON FIRST, M RAMIREZ ON SECOND, A
ETHIER ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 4
ARIZONA 4 TOP,8TH
DUE UP FOR LA DODGERS: R BELLIARD (.258, 0-FOR-3)
Dodgers 4, Diamondbacks 4 Top 8, 0 OutsSep 9 12:03 AM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY ANDRE ETHIER SCORED RAFAEL FURCAL
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, A ETHIER ON FIRST, M KEMP ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 3
ARIZONA 4 TOP,8TH
DUE UP FOR LA DODGERS: M RAMIREZ (.302, 0-FOR-2, BB)
Dodgers 3, Diamondbacks 4 Top 8, 0 OutsSep 8 11:57 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MATT KEMP SCORED JUAN PIERRE
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M KEMP ON FIRST, R FURCAL ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 2
ARIZONA 4 TOP,8TH
DUE UP FOR LA DODGERS: A ETHIER (.281, 1-FOR-3, RBI)
Dodgers 2, Diamondbacks 4 Top 8, 0 OutsSep 8 11:55 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY BILLY BUCKNER SCORED AUGIE OJEDA
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, B BUCKNER ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 1
ARIZONA 4 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: S DREW (.260, 1-FOR-3)
Dodgers 1, Diamondbacks 4 Bot 6, 0 OutsSep 8 11:24 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY BILLY BUCKNER SCORED BRANDON ALLEN
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, B BUCKNER ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 1
ARIZONA 3 BOTTOM,2ND
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: S DREW (.261, 1-FOR-1)
Dodgers 1, Diamondbacks 3 Bot 2, 0 OutsSep 8 10:15 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY MARK REYNOLDS SCORED GERARDO PARRA
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, NONE ON, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 1
ARIZONA 2 BOTTOM,1ST
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: M MONTERO (.295, 13 HR, 52 RBI)
Dodgers 1, Diamondbacks 2 Bot 1, 0 OutsSep 8 9:59 PM - NL
AT ARIZONA - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY JUSTIN UPTON SCORED STEPHEN DREW
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, G PARRA ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: LA DODGERS 1
ARIZONA 1 BOTTOM,1ST
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: M REYNOLDS (.272, 41 HR, 92 RBI)
Dodgers 1, Diamondbacks 1 Bot 1, 0 OutsSep 8 9:58 PM - NL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
LA DODGERS 1 1 2 0
ARIZONA 0 0 0 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: LOS - CHAD BILLINGSLEY
ARI - BILLY BUCKNER
DUE UP FOR ARIZONA: S DREW (.260, 12 HR, 58 RBI)
G PARRA (.291, 5 HR, 52 RBI)
J UPTON (.308, 23 HR, 72 RBI)
Dodgers 1, Diamondbacks 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsSep 8 9:51 PM
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