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Pirates-Dodgers Preview

May 1, 2010 - 6:40 AM By ANDY LEFKOWITZ STATS Editor

Pittsburgh (10-13) at Los Angeles (9-14), 10:10 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers hope a strong finish to a dismal April can lead to further success in May.

With their longest losing streak of the season behind them, the Dodgers will try to win back-to-back games for only the third time this year on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Los Angeles (9-14) snapped a five-game slide with a 6-2 win over the Pirates on Friday. Andre Ethier hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and James Loney added a three-run shot in the third - his first of 2010. Craig Billingsley pitched six solid innings, and three relievers limited the Pirates to one hit the rest of the way.

"Maybe now we can get people talking about something else now, hopefully. I guess everybody expects us to get the key hits every time. We expect to do it ourselves, but it doesn't always happen," Loney said.

With Manny Ramirez on the disabled list, and Matt Kemp still not showing the consistent power that helped him set career highs with 26 homers and 101 RBIs last season, the Dodgers will need Ethier to continue his early-season flourish.

Friday's homer was Ethier's sixth and first at home since hitting two in a win over rival San Francisco on April 16. He has reached safely in seven of eight games at Dodger Stadium, where he's batting .394.

Kemp, who didn't appear to be bothered after being called out by general manager Ned Colletti in a radio interview earlier in the week, went 0 for 4 with a season-high three strikeouts to lower his average to .278.

Recent success in May, though, is nothing new for Los Angeles. Last year, the Dodgers opened the month with six straight wins, and in 2008 they went 5-1. Los Angeles won the NL West both years, but currently is in last place, six games behind San Diego.

Ryan Doumit and Andrew McCutchen combined for five of Pittsburgh's seven hits Friday. The Pirates had won three in a row.

Doumit, who had three hits, is batting .471 (16 for 34) with two homers and eight RBIs in a 10-game hitting streak.

Zach Duke (2-2, 6.11 ERA) looks to avoid dropping his third straight start for Pittsburgh (10-13).

In a pair of losses to Milwaukee last month, Duke was roughed up for 15 runs, 16 hits and eight walks in nine innings. Pittsburgh fell by a combined score of 25-3.

The left-hander, though, has won his last two starts against the Dodgers, including on opening day. He surrendered two runs and seven hits over five innings of the 11-5 victory April 5 in Pittsburgh.

Duke is 0-1 with a 4.82 ERA in three career starts at Dodger Stadium.

After seven relief appearances, rookie Carlos Monasterios (1-0, 1.69) will make his first career start for Los Angeles. The right-hander has allowed two runs and 10 hits with three walks and six strikeouts so far.

Monasterios faced the Pirates twice during a season-opening series in Pittsburgh, and gave up a run and two hits in two innings.

Pittsburgh and Los Angeles will meet Sunday for the final time in the regular season.