Arizona @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 10, 2013 ) LA Dodgers 7, Arizona 5

Ricky Nolasco seeks his seventh consecutive victory when the Los Angeles Dodgers open a three-game series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. Nolasco was rescued from the Miami Marlins in a early-July trade and has gone 7-1 with a 2.27 ERA in 11 starts for Los Angeles. The Dodgers have lost four consecutive games after suffering a three-game sweep against Cincinnati but still possess an 11-game lead over Arizona in the National League West race.

The Diamondbacks are nine games behind in the NL wild-card race and their odds continue to decline with just 20 games remaining. Arizona had a 4 1/2-game lead over the Dodgers in the NL West entering a three-game home series that began July 8 and Los Angeles swept the set and eventually ran away with the division. Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez is batting .341 with four homers and 10 RBIs over his last 10 games.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Randall Delgado (4-5, 3.69 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Ricky Nolasco (12-9, 3.26)

Delgado is winless in six outings since beating the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 2. He is 0-2 during the stretch and has allowed three or fewer runs in four of his last five starts. Delgado is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two career outings against the Dodgers, with the loss occurring July 8 when he gave up three runs and a season-worst 11 hits in six innings.

Nolasco has allowed just six runs over his last six starts and has given up two earned runs or fewer in nine of his 11 outings for the Dodgers. He gave up two runs and five hits in six innings while beating Colorado in his last turn after combining for 16 shutout innings – allowing just five hits – over his previous two starts. Nolasco is 7-2 with a 3.88 ERA in 10 career starts against the Diamondbacks and 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA this season – with one of the victories occurring for the Marlins and the other for the Dodgers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Diamondbacks 3B/OF Martin Prado (flu) hopes to be in the lineup after missing consecutive starts. He is batting .326 in 46 career at-bats against Nolasco.

2. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Sunday that OF Matt Kemp (hamstring) will be sidelined at least one more week.

3. Arizona scored just eight runs while splitting a four-game series with San Francisco and has touched home plate only 24 times over the last 11 games.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 1