Arizona @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 2, 2010 ) Arizona 2, LA Dodgers 3

Joe Torre completes a dismal final season as the leader of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday when he manages what might be the final game of his long career against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.

The 70-year-old Torre hasn’t entirely ruled out a future return to the dugout but has indicated today’s contest will likely be the final one of a managerial career that began in 1977 with the New York Mets.

Torre definitely won’t be going out in style, not with the Dodgers possessing a 79-82 record entering the finale. The losing season ends a streak of 14 consecutive winning campaigns by Torre-led teams.

After winning six American League pennants and four World Series titles with the New York Yankees, Torre wasn’t able to get the Dodgers to a World Series in three seasons.

The Dodgers lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series in both of Torre’s first two seasons before suffering through a tough campaign this year. His best record in Los Angeles was 95-67 in 2009.

Ted Lilly gets the ball for Torre’s final game and the left-hander is looking to follow up a strong outing against Colorado.

Lilly improved to 7-4 in 12 starts with Los Angeles by giving up just one run and four hits in eight innings. He struck out eight.

Overall, Lilly is 9-12 with a 3.71 earned-run average. He started 18 games with the Chicago Cubs before the Dodgers acquired him.

Rodrigo Lopez starts for the Diamondbacks. The right-hander is 0-2 with a 4.56 ERA in four previous starts against the Dodgers this season.

Lopez has taken the ball regularly all season – this will be his 33rd start – despite struggling for most of the year. He has allowed 36 homers, most in the majors.

Lopez won back-to-back starts before losing to San Francisco in his last outing. He is 7-15 with a 5.03 ERA.

The teams have split the first two games of the series, with Los Angeles winning 3-2 on Saturday.

Right fielder Andre Ethier had four hits and center fielder Matt Kemp homered for the fourth straight game. Kemp’s two-run homer in the fifth inning broke a scoreless tie.

Kemp has 10 RBIs during the last four games to raise his season total to 87. He has 27 homers.

Kemp has fared well against Lopez with a .438 average and two homers in 16 at-bats.

Two of Arizona’s left-handed hitters have traditionally hit well against Lilly. Second baseman Kelly Johnson is 6-for-11 (.545) against Lilly and first baseman Adam LaRoche is batting .444 with three homers in 18 at-bats.