Los Angeles @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( Jun 16, 2010 ) LA Dodgers 6, Cincinnati 2
The Cincinnati Reds sure haven’t looked like the team with the best offense in the National League lately.
The Reds will be looking to solve the Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitching staff and avoid a sweep when they close out a three-game series Thursday.
Cincinnati still leads the NL in runs scored, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS but has struggled mightily in the first two games of the series, managing just two runs while allowing 18. Joey Votto and Scott Rolen – the No. 3 and 4 hitters for the Reds – are 3-for-15 so far in the series without an extra-base hit.
As a team, Cincinnati has managed only two extra-base hits against Los Angeles – a double by Jonny Gomes and a solo homer by rookie Chris Heisey.
The Reds have dropped three in a row overall to slip back into a tie for first place in the NL Central with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, have ridden their pitching back up to the top of their division, gaining a half-game lead on the San Diego Padres with Wednesday’s victory. Hiroki Kuroda did his part with five scoreless innings Tuesday and Clayton Kershaw followed with seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 strong frames on Wednesday.
John Ely will get the start for the Dodgers in the finale in place of Chad Billingsley, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a pulled right groin. Ely had been sceduled to go Friday in Boston but was bumped up a day as Los Angeles juggled its rotation.
Ely, 24, had a string of six straight starts allowing two earned runs or less through June 1 but has crashed back down to earth in his last two outings, allowing eight runs and 15 hits in 10 total innings. The rookie right-hander had not allowed any home runs and had issued just eight walks in his first seven starts but surrendered three blasts and five walks combined in his last two turns.
The Reds will counter with veteran right-hander Bronson Arroyo. The 33-year-old has sandwiched two poor outings around an eight-inning, two-run effort in his last three starts. He got knocked around by the Kansas City Royals during interleague play last weekend, surrendering five runs in seven innings.
That marked the fifth time this season that Arroyo has allowed five or more runs in a start. Los Angeles has never been a good matchup for the right-hander, who has gone 1-4 with a 4.58 ERA and 20 walks in 55 total innings against the Dodgers.