Arizona @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 19, 2014 ) Arizona 6, LA Dodgers 8

The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks for the seventh time in eight games this season when they meet in the rubber game of their three-game series Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers rallied from a four-run deficit to win 8-6 on Saturday night and they’ll face another Arizona right-hander forced into a starting role due to injuries and ineffectiveness. Los Angeles first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has quietly strung together a 14-game hitting streak and is 11-for-26 against Arizona pitching this season with three home runs and 13 RBIs.

Paul Goldschmidt has hammered away at the Dodgers in his young career but they’ve limited him to 1-for-9 in the series so far, including a game-ending strikeout Saturday night when Goldschmidt represented the tying run. Los Angeles pitchers have also kept Mark Trumbo from doing damage with the long ball, but the duo could easily benefit from the day-time carry at Dodger Stadium in the series finale. Cody Ross is two games into his return from the 15-day DL, but the right-fielder is hitless in nine at-bats with three strikeouts thus far.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA, FSN Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUPS: Diamondbacks RH Josh Collmenter (0-1, 3.75 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Josh Beckett (0-0, 4.00)

Collmenter moved into the starting rotation Monday against the New York Mets and allowed three runs and five hits in four innings, good enough to get another shot against the Dodgers. Collmenter has a lot of experience against Los Angeles without much success, making 12 appearances, including four starts, and posting a 3-5 record and 5.06 ERA. He came out of the bullpen last month and pitched to seven Dodgers during their season-opening doubleheader in Australia, allowing three hits and two walks in the 7-5 loss.

Beckett will try to build off his last start, when he threw five scoreless innings and allowed two hits and five walks in a 12-inning loss to the San Francisco Giants. Beckett made two quality starts against Arizona in his injury-shortened 2013 season, allowing one run and six hits in 8 1/3 innings last April, but losing 1-0 on a walk-off single by Goldschmidt in the ninth. He took on Arizona three weeks later at Dodger Stadium and wasn’t as effective, giving up three runs and nine hits in six innings of a 5-3 loss.

WALK-OFFS

1. Andre Ethier’s three-run homer Saturday night gave him 600 RBIs for his career, joining Steve Garvey (992), Eric Karros (976), Willie Davis (849), Ron Cey (842) and Bill Russell (627) as the only Dodgers to reach that mark.

2. Arizona RHP Trevor Cahill, who was sent to the bullpen after his 0-4 start, retired all nine batters he faced in relief Saturday night, striking out four.

3. Los Angeles starting pitchers have allowed one earned run or fewer in 12 of 18 starts this season.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 4