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Dodgers-Nationals Preview

Apr 25, 2010 - 12:27 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Los Angeles (7-9) at Washington (9-8), 1:35 p.m. EDT

With Russell Martin's help, the Los Angeles Dodgers have an opportunity to win their first road series since their previous trip to the nation's capital.

Given the pitching matchup, the catcher and the Dodgers have to like their chances in Sunday's finale against the Washington Nationals.

Martin's two-out single in the 13th inning Saturday gave his team a 4-3 victory and helped Los Angeles (8-9) avoid a season-high third straight loss. Third baseman Casey Blake also threw out Ivan Rodriguez at home in the bottom of the inning and drove in the other three runs with two home runs.

They were the first homers for Los Angeles since it placed slugger Manny Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list (strained right calf) before Friday's series opener.

Los Angeles, 4-7 on the road, hasn't won a series away from home since taking two of three over Washington from Sept. 22-24.

Scott Olsen (0-1, 11.74 ERA), Sunday's scheduled starter for the Nationals (9-9), didn't pitch in that series and that's probably a good thing for the left-hander. He is 0-3 in as many starts with a 7.30 ERA against Los Angeles and will face the Dodgers for the first time since a 13-1 defeat with Florida on April 30, 2008.

Martin hit a solo homer off Olsen in that win and is 3-for-3 with two homers lifetime versus the left-hander, who failed to make it out of Colorado's eight-run third inning in Tuesday night's 10-4 home loss.

The Rockies scored four of their runs in that inning off Olsen, who was charged with six while suffering his first defeat of this season.

"Sometimes it just falls apart on you. That's kind of what happened there," Olsen said. "It all kind of snowballed in that third inning."

Los Angeles, meanwhile, will send out Chad Billingsley (1-0, 7.07), who is 3-0 with a 3.04 ERA in four career starts against the Nationals.

The right-hander might have earned another win if not for one ill-advised pitch Sept. 23. The Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman broke up his no-hit bid on a three-run homer with two outs in the sixth inning, and the Dodgers fell 5-4 for their only loss in the series.

Billingsley might not have to face Zimmerman, who is day-to-day with a sore right hamstring, in Sunday's game. However, he's had trouble with other hitters lately as he has a 10.38 ERA over his last two starts.

After winning his season debut in Pittsburgh on April 8, Billingsley was tagged for six runs over 5 2-3 innings six days later in Arizona. He gave up seven runs - four earned - in three innings Tuesday but managed to avoid the loss in an 11-9 defeat at Cincinnati.

"He wasn't very good," manager Joe Torre said. "He threw a lot of balls in the middle of the plate, and you saw the result. We're going to have to figure it out, that's all I can say. ... He certainly has too good of stuff to get cuffed around like that."

The Dodgers haven't earned consecutive wins over the Nationals since a three-game home sweep July 25-27, 2008.