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The Dodgers look for their fifth home sweep in eight series on Sunday night as they host the St. Louis Cardinals on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. To do so, they could use a better and longer start from Chad Billingsley, who has pitched four innings in each of his last two starts, both at home.
Billingsley has allowed 10 runs in 14 innings in three May starts, with nine walks and 12 strikeouts. After his last start, both Billingsley and manager Don Mattingly said the pitcher was just unlucky, and his .458 batting average against on balls in play this month shows there is some truth to that.
Kyle Lohse looks for his sixth win of the season for the Cardinals. He has allowed just seven earned runs in five road starts this season, with a 4-1 record and 2.08 ERA. Lohse has just 16 strikeouts in 30 1/3 road innings, but also has just two unintentional walks in those five road starts.
The Dodgers have beaten the Cardinals six straight times for the first time since an eight-game winning streak against St. Louis from July 24, 1975 to May 12, 1976.
As expected, the Cardinals placed Lance Berkman on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday with a right knee injury suffered during Saturday night's game. They recalled first baseman Matt Adams from Triple A Memphis. Adams will wear number 53 for St. Louis. Adams, hitting .340/.375/.603 with nine home runs this year in Triple A, was the Texas League Player of the Year and the Cardinals minor league player of the year in 2011.
Then There Were Seven
Pitchers Michael Antonini, Nathan Eovaldi, Stephen Fife, Josh Wall, and Chris Withrow, catcher Tim Federowicz, and outfielder Matt Angle. Those are the players left on the Dodgers' 40-man roster who aren't on the active roster or on a disabled list.
Game Time: 5:00 p.m.
TV: ESPN