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Lowe looks to maintain Dodgers' dominance vs. Arizona

Jun 27, 2007 - 3:46 PM LA Dodgers (44-33) at Arizona (44-34) 9:40 pm EDT

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- In taking six of seven contests this season from their division rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers have grabbed a slim lead in the National League West.

The Dodgers will look to add to that lead when they continue a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

The latest contest in the set features two of the premier sinkerball pitchers in baseball, as Derek Lowe (8-6, 3.14 ERA) faces off against the Diamondbacks' Brandon Webb (7-5, 3.24).

Lowe is 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his last six starts and has surrendered no more than four runs in any of his 14 starts, pitching at least six frames in 12 of those outings. He will be trying to win four straight road starts for the first time since June 17-August 30, 2002.

To accomplish the feat, the 34-year-old will need to pitch better than he has in the past against Arizona, as he has gone 2-4 with a 5.11 ERA in nine career starts. In a 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Friday, he permitted three runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings.

The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, Webb has pitched well against the Dodgers over his career and has the Diamondbacks' only win in the series this season. Overall, he is 6-3 with a 3.39 ERA in 11 career starts against Los Angeles.

Webb has lost just twice in his last six starts, including a 7-1 setback against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. Falling victim to a poor three-error defensive effort by his defense, Webb surrendered seven runs - three earned - and six hits over five frames for a 7-1 loss, his shortest outing since his first start of the season.

Webb has not lost consecutive outings in over a year and he has not lost to Los Angeles since 2004.