• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Penny attempts to improve impressive mark vs. Reds

May 19, 2008 - 1:54 PM Cincinnati (21-23) at LA Dodgers (22-21) 10:10 pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) - Coming off consecutive poor starts, there may be no team that Brad Penny wants to see more than the streaking Cincinnati Reds.

Penny looks to end his own two-game slide by continuing his personal dominance against the Reds when the teams begin a three-game set at Dodger Stadium on Monday.

Penny sat out his scheduled start in Sunday's 10-2 setback against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim due to stiffness in his arm. Given his recent struggles, an extra day figures to do nothing but help the righthander, who is 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA against the Reds since he joined the Dodgers in 2004.

However, the Dodgers' ace has been anything but dominant lately, surrendering a total of 15 runs and 19 hits over his last two starts - a span of just 10 2/3 innings. While striking out a season-high six over six frames in his last start, the righthander permitted five runs and nine hits in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to Milwaukee.

Cincinnati has won six in a row after recording a pair of three-game sweeps against Florida and Cleveland. The Reds will turn to Bronson Arroyo (2-4, 6.08) in hopes that he can help the team claim their longest winning streak since an eight-game run in 2006.

After seeing his ERA skyrocket to a mark as high as 8.63 following a 14-7 loss to Atlanta on May 4, Arroyo has been sharp in his next two starts, allowing one run and striking out nine over eight frames in a 7-1 win over the New York Mets on May 10.

He followed that outing by tossing seven scoreless innings on three days rest in Wednesday's 6-5 win over Florida, although he did not receive a decision.