Dodgers in need of quality, quantity from starting pitchers

The Dodgers look to get back into the win column on Saturday night against the Braves, and one way to do it might be an extended outing from Chris Capuano. Outside of Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers starting pitchers have been lacking this month.

Capuano pitched well in his last start, on Monday against the Marlins, pitching into the seventh inning with seven strikeouts and just one run allowed. But it was just one of four games out of 11 in May that a non-Kershaw Dodgers starting pitcher has lasted at least six innings.

Kershaw has allowed three runs in his three starts in May, but the rest of the starters have a 5.30 ERA while averaging just 4.79 innings per start.

The Dodgers began the year with 11 quality starts in 13 games. But they have just 10 quality starts in the 27 games since, including six in 21 games from the non-Kershaw contingent.

With Zack Greinke now back and Hyun-jin Ryu proving to be an effective third starter, Friday notwithstanding, the Dodgers' starting pitching should be in better shape going forward. But they still need contributions from the others. That means Capuano on Saturday and Matt Magill on Sunday.

Capuano in his career is 5-3 with a 2.75 ERA against the Braves in 12 games, including 10 starts, his best mark against any club with at least four starts against.

Would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for that Medlen kid

The Dodgers haven't faced Braves starter Kris Medlen all that much. Andre Ethier is 4-for-6 with two doubles, while Matt Kemp is 1-for-7 with a double and four strikeouts. Juan Uribe is 0-for-6. Ramon Hernandez is 1-for-2 with a walk, though he has played once in the last 16 games. A.J. Ellis is 1-for-1 against Medlen.

Friday a rarity

Scott Van Slyke hit two home runs Friday night, the first multi-homer game and third multi-hit game of his career. But that it came in a loss was most surprising. The Dodgers had won their last 27 games in which a player hit at least two home runs. The last loss came on June 5, 2008, when the Cubs prevailed 5-4 at Dodger Stadium despite two home runs from Jeff Kent.

Rehab Saturday

Mark Ellis was 0-for-1 on Friday night in his first rehab game with Double-A Chattanooga, and is expected to play six innings at second base for the Lookouts again on Saturday night. Ellis could be activated as soon as Sunday.

Scott Elbert is scheduled to pitch an inning on Saturday for Chattanooga, in the fourth game of his minor league rehab assignment. It is unclear what lies ahead next for Elbert, who had two offseason elbow surgeries and hasn't pitched since August. His previous three games on the rehab assignment were with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. His minor league outings will have come with either one or two days rest in between, and he has yet to pitch on back-to-back days, something the Dodgers generally like to see, especially out of a lefty specialist. That they moved his rehab to Chattanooga while the club is merely an hour away in Atlanta suggests a possible activation from the disabled list is imminent. But it could also simply mean a step up in competition for Elbert.

Game info

Time: 4:10 p.m.

TV: KCAL