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Reds look to pick up rare win vs. Penny, Dodgers

May 12, 2007 - 1:46 PM Cincinnati (15-21) at LA Dodgers (21-15) 10:10 pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The Cincinnati Reds have had a lot of trouble against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It won't get any easier against one the league's best pitchers.

The Reds aim to snap a seven-game skid against the Dodgers, who send ace Brad Penny to the mound Saturday in the second game of a three-game series.

Cincinnati has not beaten Los Angeles since July 28, 2005, including a 2-0 loss Friday. Dodgers hurler Randy Wolf struck out 11 batters in seven innings and Russell Martin provided the offense.

The Dodgers won all six meetings with the Reds last year, sweeping the season series for the first time since moving to Los Angeles in 1958. They had not won seven in a row vs. Cincinnati since August 10, 1996-May 5, 1997.

They will look to keep it going behind the impressive Penny (4-0, 1.39 ERA), who is the major leagues' ERA leader. The hard-throwing righthander has yielded just three runs and eight hits in 18 innings over his last three starts.

He also has had success against the Reds, posting a 5-2 mark with a 3.34 ERA in his career - including wins in his last three starts.

Cincinnati will counter with Kyle Lohse (1-3, 3.21), who will make his first career start vs. the Dodgers. He made two relief appearances against Los Angeles last season.

In his last outing, Lohse allowed three runs and seven hits in 7 1/3 frames in a 5-4 loss to Houston Monday - his third straight defeat.