Diamondbacks 7 - 2 Dodgers
Final
  for this game

Diamondbacks hit the road to battle Dodgers

Sep 12, 2011 - 2:36 PM (Sports Network) - The National League West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks will head out of the desert for a few days, starting with tonight's opener of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.

Arizona had won a franchise-best 15 straight games at home before failing to record a four-game sweep of San Diego following Sunday's 7-6 loss at Chase Field. Josh Collmenter started for the D'Backs and was roughed up for six runs and seven hits in four innings.

Henry Blanco homered and both Chris Young and Collin Cowgill recorded two RBI apiece for Arizona, which is 8 1/2 games ahead of San Francisco in the division standings and lost for only the third time in 19 tries. D'Backs catcher Miguel Montero is riding an 18-game hitting streak.

"We woke up a little bit and were able to fight back," Young said on the team's site. "I thought we were going to pull it out again, honestly. I thought we were going to find a way to win it. But, by all means, it was a great homestand. We've been playing good baseball lately and it's been exciting."

The Diamondbacks will also visit San Diego for three games on this trek and will hand the ball to Joe Saunders tonight. Saunders is 10-12 with a 3.88 earned run average in 29 starts and has won two of three trips to the hill, including Wednesday's 5-3 victory at Colorado. Saunders allowed three runs in six innings and struck out four batters.

Saunders, a left-hander, lost to the Dodgers on Aug. 6 and is only 2-5 with a 3.67 ERA in nine career starts against them. He is 7-7 in 16 road starts this season.

Los Angeles went 7-3 on a rain-shortened 10-game road trip and came up short in its bid for a three-game sweep of San Francisco with Sunday's 8-1 loss.

Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda lasted 4 2/3 innings and gave up three runs and eight hits to absorb the loss. Tony Gwynn Jr. had a team-best two hits and drove in the team's only run, as LA fell to 15-4 in its last 19 games.

"Overall, a pretty good run for us on the trip and the guys really did a good job battling," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "We did three cities in three days, back-to-back day games. I told them afterward I was proud of the way they battled."

Mattingly's club is back in Hollywood for a 10-game homestand versus Arizona, Pittsburgh and San Francisco, and will hand the ball to Ted Lilly Monday night. Lilly is 2-0 in his last four starts and did not record a decision in Tuesday's 7-3 win at Washington in the season debut of Nationals righty Stephen Strasburg. Lilly gave up three runs -- two earned -- in five innings and is 9-13 with a 4.37 ERA in 29 starts.

Lilly defeated the Diamondbacks on July 29 and is 4-6 with a 4.52 earned run average in 12 career games, 10 of which have been starts, against them. The veteran left-hander sports a 7-7 mark in 15 home starts this season.

Arizona has won seven of 12 meetings with Los Angeles this season, including four of six matchups at Dodger Stadium.






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