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Dodgers look to calm things down after wild two games

Jun 9, 2007 - 2:42 PM Toronto (28-32) at LA Dodgers (35-26) 10:10 pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) - Before Thursday's series finale against the Padres, the Los Angeles Dodgers were flawless in games they led after eight innings. What a difference two games make.

The Dodgers continue their three-game interleague series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

Los Angeles, which was 29-0 in games they led after eight innings before Thursday primarily due to a strong bullpen, has done an about-face lately.

The dodgers surrendered five runs in the ninth to lose a four-run lead on the road against San Diego before watching closer Takashi Saito blow his first save opportunity in 26 chances in the series opener against the Blue Jays on Friday.

Derek Lowe (6-5, 3.44 ERA) looks to win his third straight start for Los Angeles, which has won 12 of their last 15 home games. He carried a no-hitter through six frames in his last start on Monday - a 6-5 win at Pittsburgh - before allowing a single to Freddy Sanchez with no outs in the seventh. He ended up yielding four runs and three hits in 7 2/3 innings.

Lowe is 3-3 with a 5.72 ERA in eight career starts against Toronto while he was still a member of the Boston Red Sox. He has yet to face them in the three seasons he has been a Dodger.

Shaun Marcum (2-2, 4.06), who has never faced the Dodgers, has been solid since stepping into the Blue Jay rotation. He is 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA in his five starts since becoming a starter on May 13.

The former reliever, however, is coming off a poor outing in his last start on Sunday. The righthander surrendered three runs and four hits over three frames in a 4-3 win.