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Dodgers-Reds Preview

Apr 22, 2010 - 4:10 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Los Angeles (6-7) at Cincinnati (6-8), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds have had little trouble scoring runs in the first two games of their series at Great American Ball Park.

That trend could continue in the finale of the three-game set Thursday night.

After Cincinnati (6-9) opened with an 11-9 win Tuesday, Los Angeles bounced back with a 14-6 victory Wednesday. The teams have combined for 51 hits, including seven home runs, at Cincinnati's hitter-friendly stadium.

Rafael Furcal, Andre Ethier, Manny Ramirez and James Loney each had three hits Wednesday for the Dodgers (7-7), who totaled 18. Los Angeles is hitting a major-league best .315 and averaging 6.6 runs per contest.

"I think everybody's feeling good right now," said Furcal, who drove in four Wednesday, is 5 for 10 in the series, and batting .356 this season. "You can see it."

Despite their success at the plate, the Dodgers will try for the fourth time to surpass .500 this season. They have a good chance to do so and win their first road series of the season while the Reds will try to avoid their seventh loss in eight games.

The Dodgers are 23-5 against the Reds since 2006, their best mark against any team in that span.

Ramirez is batting .421 this season, and is 8 for 20 in seven career games at Great American Ball Park.

Los Angeles hopes to stay hot at the plate against rookie Mike Leake (0-0, 2.63 ERA), who will try to record the first win by a Reds starter in 2010.

Leake, who earlier this month became the 21st player since the draft began in 1965 to make his professional debut in the majors, fared well against Chicago and Pittsburgh, but will face a more potent lineup from the Dodgers.

The right-hander allowed three runs over the first two innings and walked five in seven innings of a 4-3 road loss to the Pirates on Friday.

"You can look back and wish you didn't give them up," Leake told the Reds' official website. "You can't change the past. You just have to try and move on."

Vicente Padilla (1-1, 8.04 ERA) takes the ball for the Dodgers looking to build off his first victory of the season.

The right-hander, who has improved in each of his last two starts after being roughed up in his season debut, gave up three runs and struck out seven in seven innings of a 10-8 win over San Francisco on Friday.

The right-hander is 3-1 with a 4.63 ERA in six starts against the Reds, but he's allowed 11 runs in 9 2-3 innings over two at Cincinnati.

The Reds' Scott Rolen is 0 for 5 lifetime against Padilla, but 5 for 8 with a homer in the series so far.

Joey Votto has homered in each game of the set, while going 4 for 7 with five RBIs. He's a lifetime .395 hitter in 10 games against the Dodgers in Cincinnati.