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Dodgers hope to again show Twins money ain't a thing

Jun 28, 2011 - 2:46 PM (Sports Network) - The financial strife in which the Los Angeles Dodgers are currently embroiled in didn't seem to bother the team that much in its series- opening win last night against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.

The fate of Frank McCourt's ownership is hanging in the balance after the popular franchise filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court on Monday, but the show must go on and the Dodgers will continue a three-game series in the Twin Cities this evening.

Los Angeles began a six-game road trip with a 15-0 pounding of the Twins and used a 25-hit attack to dispose of the hosts in ugly fashion. Trent Oeltjen finished 4-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored, Matt Kemp also collected four hits, including a home run, two runs scored and a pair of runs batted in and Casey Blake added a homer to go along with three hits. Tony Gwynn Jr. had four hits in six plate appearances, two runs scored and an RBI for the Dodgers, who have won two straight and five of eight games.

Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley was the beneficiary of the run support and allowed just four hits and two walks with four K's over six shutout innings for the win.

"That was fun to watch the guys hit today. I was just going out there trying to be aggressive and trying not to walk guys," said Billingsley. "With the guys swinging the bats that well, you just want to get them back up there."

The 25 hits were the most by any team in the majors this season and matched a team record for the Dodgers, who last reached the mark on May 19, 2006, against the LA Angels of Anaheim.

Los Angeles, which recently went 4-8 on a season-long 12-game, 14-day homestand, will send lefty Ted Lilly to the mound tonight and he's hoping to end a personal two-game losing streak. Lilly has dropped three of four starts and lasted 4 2/3 innings in Wednesday's 7-5 setback versus Detroit, as he was reached for six runs and six hits to fall to 5-7 in 16 outings.

Lilly raised his earned run average to 4.63 and will make his eighth career start against Minnesota. He is 3-1 with a 3.33 ERA in seven matchups with the Twins.

Minnesota had won seven in a row at home until last night's annihilation by the Dodgers' offense. Twins starter Nick Blackburn was hammered for eight runs -- seven earned -- and 13 hits in 4 1/3 frames, while Anthony Swarzak and Phil Dumatrait both allowed two runs in relief before Jose Mijares was banged around for three more.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka had two of the four hits for the Twins, who have lost six straight since an eight-game winning streak and will host Milwaukee and Tampa Bay on this nine-game homestand. Minnesota has managed just eight runs during its current slide.

"That was embarrassing. We didn't hit. We played shoddy defense," said Twins third baseman Danny Valencia. "Today was bad. There's really nothing else to say. That was bad and depressing."

Brian Duensing looks to make Monday's loss a distant memory when he takes the mound this evening for Minnesota. Duensing has alternated wins and losses in each of his previous five decisions (6 starts) and was beaten by San Francisco in Thursday's 2-1 road loss. He suffered the hard-luck defeat for allowing one run over 6 2/3 innings, falling to 4-7 with a 4.54 ERA in 15 games (14 starts).

The left-hander has never faced Los Angeles and is 2-3 with a lofty 5.45 ERA in seven games, six of which have been starts, at Target Field this season.

The Twins swept a three-game series versus LA in 2006 at the Metrodome after the Dodgers won two of three meetings at Chavez Ravine from June 10-12, 2005.