Milwaukee @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 27, 2013 ) Milwaukee 6, LA Dodgers 4

The Los Angeles Dodgers try to win their second straight three-game series when they host the Milwaukee Brewers in the rubber game on Sunday. The Dodgers have scored the third-fewest runs in the major leagues this season and have used nine different starting pitchers because of a rash of injuries, but they’ve managed to win four of their last six and are close to getting power-hitting shortstop Hanley Ramirez back. Matt Kemp has emerged by going 10-for-22 with five RBIs over the last six games.

The Brewers are also close to getting a key player back, though it won’t be for this series. Aramis Ramirez injured his knee April 5 but the power-hitting third baseman is expected to run the base paths early next week and is hoping to return for a four-game series beginning Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals. In the meantime, outfielder Ryan Braun will try to continue his success at Dodger Stadium. After hitting a home run in Friday’s loss, he went 0-for-3 with two walks on Saturday and is hitting .373 in 15 games at Dodger Stadium.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Wisconsin (Milwaukee), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Kyle Lohse (1-1, 2.52 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (2-2, 2.14)

Lohse dislocated the pinkie finger on his left hand in his last start Monday against the San Diego Padres. There was initial thoughts that he might miss a start but was helped by an off-day Thursday that gave him extra time to recuperate. Lohse has been as advertised since the Brewers signed him to a three-year free-agent deal in March, keeping them close in all four starts. After the offense combined to score one run in his first two outings, they’ve supported him with 11 in the last two. Lohse faced the Dodgers in July when he was with the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing two runs and seven hits in seven innings of a game the Cardinals eventually won in 12 innings.

Kershaw has been victimized by a lack of run support this season as well. Before scoring seven runs in his last start against the New York Mets, the Dodgers supported him with a total of seven runs in his previous four starts. The Dodgers would like to see better command from Kershaw, as his walk-to-strikeout ratio has teetered the wrong direction the last couple games. He had four walks and five strikeouts in each of his last two starts, causing him to hit triple digits in his pitch count by the middle innings. Kershaw threw eight shutout innings against Milwaukee in 2011 but couldn’t get out of the sixth inning in a 6-3 loss last May at Dodger Stadium.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kershaw has four of his nine complete games and three of his six shutouts during the day.

2. Ramirez, who suffered a broken thumb during the World Baseball Classic in early March, singled and helped turn two double plays during a rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday. He’s aiming to return Tuesday against the visiting Colorado Rockies, which happens to be his bobblehead night.

3. Milwaukee SS Jean Segura was scratched from Saturday’s lineup after splitting his fingernail in pregame warm-ups. He pinch hit in the seventh inning and struck out.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 2, Brewers 1.