Washington @ Los Angeles preview
Dodger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 7, 2010 ) Washington 2, LA Dodgers 3
Jason Marquis looks to make something out of a lost season when he makes his first start since April as the Washington Nationals meet the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday in the final game of a three-game series.
Marquis was signed in the offseason to be one of the leaders of the Nationals’ pitching staff, but his season was derailed by elbow issues.
Marquis was bombed in three April starts and underwent surgery to remove loose bone chips in May. He went 0-3 with a 20.52 earned-run average in 8 1/3 innings.
He allowed seven runs without retiring a single batter against Milwaukee in his final start before being shut down.
An All-Star in 2009 with the Colorado Rockies, Marquis went 15-13 with a 4.04 ERA. The Nationals signed him to a two-year, $15 million deal.
Marquis’ return ranks just second on Washington’s anticipation list behind rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg, who is expected to be activated from the disabled list on Tuesday. Strasburg went on the DL with shoulder stiffness.
Los Angeles is a good opponent for Marquis to face in his return. The right-hander is 5-2 with a 2.29 ERA in 12 career appearances (11 starts) against the Dodgers.
Left-hander Ted Lilly will look to follow up a sensational Los Angeles debut last Tuesday. He allowed just one run and two hits in seven innings against the San Diego Padres, retiring the final 20 batters he faced in the 2-1 victory.
Lilly has a 3.56 ERA but only a 4-8 record, indicative of the lack of run support he received from the Chicago Cubs prior to the recent trade to Los Angeles.
In seven career starts against the Nationals, Lilly is 3-3 with a 2.20 ERA.
Washington catcher Ivan Rodriguez is a .240 career hitter against Lilly but has made his six hits count with three homers and a double.
The teams split the first two games of the series, with Washington winning Friday behind Adam Dunn’s two homers and the Dodgers prevailing Saturday on James Loney’s 10th-inning single.
Loney has excelled against Marquis. The Los Angeles first baseman is 7-for-12 (.583) with three doubles, a homer and four RBIs.
Loney had gone eight consecutive games without an RBI before the delivering the game-winning hit. He leads the Dodgers with 67 RBIs.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles shortstop Rafael Furcal (back) is expected to return to action on Tuesday against Philadelphia. Furcal, hitting .316, was injured on Aug. 2.