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Diamondbacks-Dodgers Preview

Apr 12, 2010 - 8:41 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Arizona (4-2) at Los Angeles (2-4), 4:10 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the NL's best home teams over the last two seasons.

Off to their worst start in seven years, the Dodgers are hoping this season's first homestand will help them change their fortunes.

Los Angeles will play the first of six straight games at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers are 98-64 at home since the beginning of the 2008 season, and the Chicago Cubs are the only NL team with more victories on its own field over that span.

After a disappointing road trip to start 2010, Los Angeles (2-4) could use some wins during a homestand that features three games apiece against the Diamondbacks (4-2) and San Francisco.

To get those victories, Los Angeles will likely need a better performance from its bullpen, which failed to hold on to leads in consecutive games in Florida over the weekend.

The Dodgers had a two-run cushion heading into the bottom of the ninth Saturday, but George Sherrill gave up a two-run, pinch-hit double to Ronny Paulino then Jorge Cantu's walk-off sacrifice fly.

They led by a run after six innings Sunday until the Marlins scored twice off Jeff Weaver to take a 6-5 victory.

"The thing we have to find out about is our pitching," manager Joe Torre said. "We're going to go only as far as our pitching allows us."

While his pitchers have labored, Torre's hitters have done their job by supplying at least five runs in all but one game this season while batting .298 overall.

That offense could get a boost during its upcoming series with Andre Ethier expected to return from a sore ankle. The outfielder, who hasn't started the past four games, is a career .305 hitter at Dodger Stadium.

If he comes back Tuesday, Ethier will try to help Los Angeles avoid its first 2-5 start since 1998.

The Dodgers might face a tough task if they want to outslug the Diamondbacks. Arizona has scored 41 runs already this season and had a team-record 13 in the fourth inning of Sunday's 15-6 victory over Pittsburgh.

Chris Young drove in the first three runs of that frame with his third home run in four games, and Chris Snyder hit a bases-clearing double as part of a career high-tying, five-RBI performance.

"That inning is hard to describe other than very good," manager A.J. Hinch told the team's Web site. "One guy after another just getting the at-bat to the next guy. We stuck it to them with some big hits. That's unlike any inning I've ever seen."

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 5.79) will have the task of slowing down the Diamondbacks, who are trying for their third 5-2 start in four seasons.

The left-hander will also attempt to earn his first victory since July 18. He was 0-3 over his final 12 starts in 2009 and allowed three runs in 4 2-3 innings in his season debut Wednesday in Pittsburgh, a 4-3 defeat.

Kershaw is winless in three career starts against the Diamondbacks and lost his only matchup last season, giving up four runs in 4 1-3 innings of a 4-1 road defeat.

Arizona will counter with former USC pitcher and Orange County native Ian Kennedy (0-0, 5.40), who will pitch in his second NL game.

After spending the three previous seasons with the New York Yankees, the right-hander allowed three runs over five innings against San Diego on Wednesday, failing to get a decision in Arizona's 5-3 victory.