Cincinnati @ Los Angeles preview
Dodger Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 21, 2010 ) Cincinnati 5, LA Dodgers 8
Bronson Arroyo is seeking his 100th career victory Sunday when the Cincinnati Reds wind up a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Arroyo has won three of his past four starts and takes a 99-90 career record into the game against the Dodgers, a team he has beaten just twice in his career.
One of those wins occurred earlier this season, when Arroyo allowed just one run over seven innings on June 17. He is 2-4 with a 4.21 career earned-run average against Los Angeles.
Arroyo beat Arizona in his last outing, giving up two runs and six hits in 7 1/3 innings. The victory improved his season record to 13-7, two wins short of the career-best 15 victories he recorded in each of the past two seasons.
Arroyo has a 3.87 ERA this season but his road ERA is lower – he’s 8-3 with a 3.44 ERA away from Cincinnati.
The Reds and Dodgers split the first two games of the series, with Los Angeles’ victory on Saturday snapping Cincinnati’s seven-game winning streak. The Reds lead St. Louis by 3 1/2 games in the National League Central.
The Dodgers hit four homers in a span of five hitters off Cincinnati starter Johnny Cueto. Ryan Theriot and Andre Ethier hit two-out solo homers in the second inning and Jay Gibbons and Matt Kemp hit back-to-back homers to start the third.
Los Angeles also had slugging outfielder Manny Ramirez back in the fold. Ramirez played five innings and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
Ramirez had been on the disabled list for more than a month with a calf injury. The 38-year-old, who has been on the DL three times this season, isn't scheduled to start today.
The Dodgers plan to be careful with Ramirez because of his periodic injuries this season and because they have a glut of outfielders after the recent acquisition of Scott Podsednik and the return of Reed Johnson from the disabled list.
Left-hander Clayton Kershaw will start today’s game for the Dodgers.
Kershaw (11-7, 3.03 ERA) blanked Colorado for seven innings in his last outing. He beat Cincinnati on June 16, allowing one run over 7 1/3 innings.
Reds first baseman Joey Votto went 2-for-4 with two RBIs Saturday. Votto is batting .350 over his past 40 at-bats. His two RBIs raised his season total to 83, one shy of his career high. Votto had 84 RBIs in each of the past two seasons.