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Dodgers strive for elusive sweep of Tigers

Jun 22, 2011 - 2:47 PM (Sports Network) - It's hard to believe, but the Los Angeles Dodgers can secure their first sweep of the 2011 season with a victory this afternoon versus the Detroit Tigers in the finale of a three-game series from Chavez Ravine.

The Dodgers tied their season-long winning streak of three games for the fourth time this season with Tuesday's 6-1 triumph in the second installment of this series. Andre Ethier belted a two-run homer and Dee Gordon, A.J. Ellis, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Trent Oeltjen all drove in a run for Los Angeles, which is 3-5 on a season-long 12-game, 14-day homestand and hadn't won three in a row since closing out the month of May with such a streak.

LA's most recent series win was at Cincinnati from June 3-5.

Matt Kemp stole two bases in the seventh inning after reaching on a walk to make him just the second Dodger all-time to have 20 home runs and 20 steals before the All-Star break. Dodgers first base coach Davey Lopes was the only other Dodger to accomplish that feat, doing so in 1979.

"Davey is one of my teachers, so this is special," said Kemp. "He's pointing things out to me. I feel like we're on a roll."

Chad Billingsley got the win with 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball.

The Dodgers will also welcome the Angels to Chavez Ravine on this residency and will pin today's pitching duties on Ted Lilly. The veteran has alternated wins and losses over his last eight decisions, spanning 10 starts. He lost to Houston on Friday in a 7-3 setback from LA, as he was reached for six runs -- five earned -- and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Lilly fell to 5-6 in 15 starts to go along with a 4.26 ERA this season. He is 3-4 in seven home starts and will make his 11th career appearance against the Tigers, having gone just 2-4 with a 4.63 ERA in the first 10 games, seven of which have been starts.

Detroit managed to stay within a game of Cleveland for the AL Central lead, as both clubs lost on Tuesday. The Tigers have dropped two straight and fell to 1-4 on a six-game road trip, and starting pitcher Max Scherzer failed in his bid to become the majors' first 10-game winner after allowing six runs on nine hits and two walks over six innings of work.

Victor Martinez, starting at first base so Miguel Cabrera could rest, drove in the Tigers' only run and finished with two hits. Brennan Boesch also had two hits and is batting over .400 with six home runs and 13 RBI in the past 18 games for the Tigers, who are expected to have Cabrera in the lineup Wednesday.

Cabrera pinch-hit last night and grounded into a double play.

"We ran into a couple of hot pitchers the last two nights. We just didn't do anything offensively," said Detroit manager Jim Leyland after Tuesday's setback.

Despite the loss, the Tigers are still an impressive 65-33 in interleague action since the 2006 campaign.

Martinez will most likely resume his duties behind the plate this afternoon and is hitting .380 with eight doubles, two home runs, and 15 RBI in his last 24 games.

Leyland's club will return to the Motor City after today's game to kick off a 10-game homestand versus the Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Mets and Giants. The Toronto game is make-up of a rainout from May 17th at Comerica Park.

Detroit will send Rick Porcello to the mound today, and he is 2-3 with a 6.31 earned run average in his last five starts. Porcello suffered his second straight defeat since a two-game winning streak in Friday's 13-6 loss at Colorado, where he permitted nine runs -- six earned -- in just three innings.

Porcello, a right-hander, fell to 6-5 in 13 starts and unintentionally raised his ERA from 3.61 to 4.18. He is 4-2 in eight road starts this season and will take on the Dodgers for the second time in his career. In a 6-2 road victory over Los Angeles on May 23 of last season, Porcello tossed six innings of two- run ball for the win.

Los Angeles won two of three meetings with Detroit a year ago at Dodger Stadium, but these clubs have split the past 10 encounters with one another.