Photo by Jon SooHoo / Dodgers
In the rubber game of a three game series (the final game after the first two games are split), the Dodgers are 3-3 this season, but 0-2 at home. Trying to win their series against the Diamondbacks tonight, the Dodgers turn to their ace, Chad Billingsley.
Billingsley, who has pitched at least six innings in each of his 11 starts this season, has lost consecutive starts for the first time since he lost his first four starts in April 2008. Billingsley is sixth in the National League averaging 6.73 innings per start.
The Dodgers relievers lead the majors with 15 wins. Closer Jonathan Broxton has five wins, Jeff Weaver and Guillermo Mota each have two, and six others have picked up one victory in relief. The only pitcher to throw a pitch for the 2009 Dodgers and not get a win is Cory Wade.
The 16 different pitchers to notch a victory is the third most in Dodger history, only a third of the way through the season. The 2008 Dodgers had wins from 18 different pitchers.
Per the Dodger game notes, James Loney has 20 RBI in his last 20 games, hitting .313/.352/.446 over that period. The only NL players with more RBI during that span are both Phillies, Raul Ibañez (26) and Ryan Howard (21).
Orlando Hudson gets his first day off tonight:
| Diamondbacks | Dodgers | |||
| 2B | Lopez | LF | Pierre | |
| LF | Parra | SS | Furcal | |
| RF | Upton | 1B | Loney | |
| SS | Drew | 3B | Blake | |
| 3B | Reynolds | RF | Ethier | |
| C | Montero | C | Martin | |
| CF | Young | CF | Kemp | |
| 1B | Whitesell | 2B | Castro | |
| P | Garland | P | Billingsley | |
Tonight's Russell Martin HR contest potential winners:
| Ken Noe | 2nd inning, 340 feet |
| Phil Gurnee | 3rd inning, 382 feet |
| wince1ce | 7th inning, 335 feet |
| thinkbluecrew | 7th inning, 377 feet |
| Tripon | 8th inning, 377 feet |
Get your guesses in for "She Is Gone" here.