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Dodgers look to extend division lead vs. Pirates

Sep 15, 2008 - 1:47 PM LA Dodgers (77-72) at Pittsburgh (63-86) 7:05 p.m. EDT

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The road to a National League West Division title for the Los Angeles Dodgers runs through three of the worst teams in the league.

With a 4 1/2-game lead and 13 games remaining, the Dodgers open a four-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.

Once it concludes the current 10-game road trip, Los Angeles has a six-game homestand against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres - the two teams at the bottom of the NL West - before finishing the season with three games in San Francisco.

Winners of 12 of 14, the Dodgers have opened up a comfortable lead on the Arizona Diamondbacks (72-76), losers of eight of nine.

Hiroki Kuroda (8-10, 3.93) will be in search of just his third road win in 16 starts for Los Angeles.

The righthander is 2-8 away from home with a 4.32 ERA. Kuroda has been stellar since the beginning of August, posting a 3-2 record and a 2.84 ERA in eight starts.

Pittsburgh counters with Ross Ohlendorf (0-1, 8.10), who will be making his third start for the Pirates since being acquired from the New York Yankees.

After allowing three earned runs over six innings in his first start against the Cincinnati Reds, the righthander was battered for six runs in four innings in a 9-3 loss to the Houston Astros.