Los Angeles @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2018 ) LA Dodgers 3, Arizona 4

The National League West won't crown a champion until this weekend, but the Los Angeles Dodgers can improve their chances with a victory when they visit the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday for the rubber match of their three-game series. The Dodgers had their division lead over Colorado reduced to one-half game with Tuesday's 4-3 loss.

Arizona snapped its four-game losing streak on Eduardo Escobar’s walk-off homer off Kenta Maeda after Los Angeles tied the game in the top of the ninth inning on Chris Taylor’s RBI double. David Peralta drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks, who won for just the fourth time in 17 games. The Dodgers are aiming for their sixth consecutive division title but have gone 6-for-28 with runners in scoring position over their last two games and could use more production from Brian Dozier, who has recorded three hits in 42 at-bats this month. Yasmani Grandal collected three hits for the Dodgers, who are 21-9 since Aug. 24 and finish the regular season with three games at San Francisco this weekend.

TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, ESPN, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles), FS Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Ross Stripling (8-5, 2.84 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Zack Greinke (14-11, 3.21)

Stripling lost his third straight decision on Friday, allowing two runs in 3 1/3 innings against San Diego. The 28-year-old Texan has worked 3 1/3 frames in each of his three starts since rejoining the rotation on Sept. 12. Paul Goldschmidt is 6-for-14 with a home run against Stripling, who is 1-3 with a 3.96 ERA in 17 career games (three starts) versus Arizona – including an 0-3 record and 5.19 mark in 10 contests (one start) at Chase Field.

Greinke fell to 2-6 since the beginning of August after allowing three runs over 7 1/3 innings in last Friday’s 6-2 loss to Colorado. “He was executing a great game plan and I thought he had some of the best stuff he had all year,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo told reporters. “They just chipped away at him in the eighth inning.” The five-time All-Star owns a 6-5 record and 3.83 ERA in 14 career starts against the Dodgers but has struggled to contain Justin Turner (9-for-25, two home runs).

WALK-OFFS

1. The Dodgers plan to start LHPs Hyun-Jin Ryu and Clayton Kershaw, as well as RHP Walker Buehler, in this weekend’s series against San Francisco.

2. Arizona 1B Christian Walker (sinus) will miss the rest of the season after being hit by a pitch in the face in Monday’s contest.

3. Los Angeles is 71-27 when scoring first.

PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 2