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Dodgers try to get bats going against Brewers

May 17, 2011 - 2:47 PM (Sports Network) - Totaling just two runs during a three-game losing streak, the suddenly-anemic Los Angeles Dodgers will try to right the ship tonight versus the Milwaukee Brewers in the finale of a two-game series from Chavez Ravine.

The Dodgers lost the last two portions of a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks over the weekend before dropping Monday's opener with the Brewers by a 2-1 score. Jon Garland got the start for LA and suffered the loss for allowing both runs and seven hits in six innings. Matt Kemp plated Jamey Carroll with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to account for the scoring.

"We're in that zone where our confidence is down a little bit offensively. We need to fight and scratch for every run," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. "We gave ourselves chances to score, but we still need that big hit."

Jay Gibbons had the lone extra-base hit with a double for the Dodgers, who will host San Francisco for two games following tonight's matchup with Milwaukee.

Los Angeles hopes Hiroki Kuroda can pitch it back into the win column, as the right-hander is slated to take the mound Tuesday. Kuroda is coming off seven shutout innings in a 2-0 win at Pittsburgh last Wednesday, as he struck out eight and walked three to improve to 4-3 in eight starts with a 3.21 ERA.

Kuroda looks to stay unbeaten in his career against Milwaukee, as he sports a 2-0 mark in three appearances (2 starts).

Milwaukee has been on a roll lately with four straight wins and recorded its sixth victory in seven tries with last night's one-run triumph. Shaun Marcum was solid on the hill and held the Dodgers in check by tossing seven innings of one-run ball with four K's and one walk.

Kameron Loe worked a flawless eighth inning before John Axford closed the door in the ninth for his ninth save. Carlos Gomez made a run-saving catch in the outfield, robbing LA's Juan Uribe of a home run in the second inning.

"That pitch to Uribe wasn't very good," said Marcum, "but Carlos saved it."

Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks hit RBI singles for Milwaukee, which snapped a four-game losing streak to the Dodgers.

The Brewers, who will visit San Diego for two games after tonight, are scheduled to send Randy Wolf to the mound tonight and he's 0-1 over his last three starts since winning three in a row. Wolf luckily did not factor in the outcome of last Wednesday's 13-6 loss to the Padres, as he allowed five runs and 12 hits in a season-low 3 1/3 innings.

Wolf, who is 3-3 with a 4.11 ERA in eight starts, has allowed 11 runs over his last two starts and will face Los Angeles for the 11th time in his career. The veteran lefty is 3-3 with a 3.68 ERA over the first 10 starts in this series.

The Dodgers have won four of five versus the Brewers, with the previous three victories coming in Milwaukee. Los Angeles did lose two of three at home to the Brew Crew last season, getting outscored 25-16.