• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Diamondbacks-Dodgers Preview

Apr 14, 2010 - 2:26 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

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

Back to the comfortable surroundings of Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles appears poised to overcome a rough first week of the season.

Coming of a strong offensive showing to win their home opener, the Dodgers continue their series with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.

Los Angeles (3-4) has won two straight NL West titles, thanks in part to the 98 home wins it accumulated over the past two seasons. The Dodgers didn't waste any time picking up where they left off at Dodger Stadium, beating Arizona 9-5 on Tuesday.

"This is a big lift for us," said manager Joe Torre, who's team went 2-4 at Pittsburgh and Florida to open the season.

Manny Ramirez hit his first home run of the season while Casey Blake, Matt Kemp and Andre Either also went deep for the Dodgers.

"There's a lot to prove and a lot to go out there and do," said Ethier, a lifetime .427 hitter with seven home runs and 29 RBIs in 30 home games against the Diamondbacks.

Despite its record, Los Angeles has scored 45 runs through seven games and at least nine twice.

Ramirez is 7 for 23 this season, and batting .404 with 11 home runs in 30 games against the Diamondbacks. Kemp, meanwhile, is 6 for 15 with two homers and three RBIs in his last three contests overall.

After tagging Arizona's Ian Kennedy for six runs in 4 1-3 innings Tuesday, the Dodgers hope to get the best of scheduled starter Rodrigo Lopez, who was solid in his Arizona debut.

Lopez (1-0, 1.50 ERA), a two-time 15-game winner who missed 2008 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, allowed a run in six innings of a 9-1 win over Pittsburgh on Friday.

"Anytime you get a win it's a good feeling," the 34-year-old Lopez told the Diamondbacks' official Web site.

The right-hander is 1-1 with a 2.49 ERA in four starts versus the Dodgers, but hasn't faced them since July 2007.

Los Angeles counters with Chad Billingsley (1-0, 1.69), who continued his success in April with his last start.

Billingsley allowed one run and struck out seven in 5 1-3 innings of a 10-2 win at Pittsburgh on Thursday. The right-hander went 4-0 in five April starts last season to help pave the way toward earning a spot on the NL All-Star team.

"Last year was last year, this is a new season, a new start," Billingsley said. "We'll have to take it one start at a time and one win at a time."

Billingsley is 6-5 with a 3.52 ERA in 13 starts against the Diamondbacks, who hit the road after opening with a 4-2 homestand.

Arizona's Mark Reynolds homered, but also struck out three times Tuesday. Chris Young had two hits with an RBI for the Diamondbacks, who've dropped two of three.

Three of Reynolds' four hits this season have left the park. He hit a career-high 44 homers last season, but also broke his own major league record for strikeouts with 223 in 2009. Reynolds has struck out 10 times in 24 at-bats this season.

He's batting .186 with 37 strikeouts in 23 games at Dodger Stadium. Two of his five hits against Billingsley have been home runs.