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Offensively challenged Dodgers visit Reds

Apr 21, 2008 - 1:18 PM La Dodgers (7-11) at Cincinnati (8-11) 7:10 pm EDT

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Joe Torre's tenure in Los Angeles is off to a rocky start.

Torre and the Los Angeles Dodgers look to snap a three-game losing streak when they visit the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a two-game series on Monday.

To say the Dodgers have struggled offensively would be putting it kindly.

Los Angeles was outscored, 16-3, and suffered a three-game sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves over the weekend. The Dodgers, who have lost nine of 12, finished 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position in the series.

"It's frustrating," said Torre, who spent 11 years as the manager of the New York Yankees prior to joining the Dodgers this season. "Everybody feels the heat from it. We feel a lot of tenseness. We have to start swinging the bats."

With the way Brad Penny has dominated the Reds, the Dodgers may not need to score a ton of runs.

Penny (2-2, 2.96 ERA) is 6-0 with a 2.44 ERA in his last six starts against Cincinnati. The righthander allowed one unearned run and five hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 8-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday - the Dodgers' last win.

The Reds, who have lost seven of nine, will counter with Matt Belisle (NR)),who has been on the disabled list since March 21 with a strained right forearm.