National League Preview from The Sports Network
Friday, July 6th
(All times eastern)
Los Angeles Dodgers (47-37) at Arizona Diamondbacks (39-43), 9:40 p.m.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Los Angeles - Clayton Kershaw (6-4, 2.65)
Arizona - Josh Collmenter (0-2, 4.41)
(Sports Network) - Things are beginning to come together again for the Los
Angeles Dodgers. The current NL West leaders will shoot for a fourth straight
win tonight in the continuation of a four-game series against the Arizona
Diamondbacks.
The start of July has been much better than the end of June as the club
dropped seven straight and 11 of 12 games to close out the month. So far the
Dodgers are 4-1 in July and posted a 4-1 win at Chase Field last night. Scott
Van Slyke and Elian Herrera both homered and Nathan Eovaldi earned his first
win of the season with six innings of one-run ball.
"We're just scratching for every win we can get now. We regrouped a little and
have kind of been able to pitch good," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.
"We're getting the pitching, now we're able to put a few runs up."
The news wasn't all good for Mattingly's club on Thursday. Dodgers shortstop
Dee Gordon, who leads the majors in steals, is expected to miss the next six
weeks due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb. He was put
on the 15-day disabled list and will have surgery on Friday.
The Dodgers, who halted a four-game road losing streak and are 1 1/2 games
ahead of San Francisco in the division, replaced Gordon on the roster by
activating right-handed reliever Javy Guerra from the 15-day DL.
Los Angeles All-Star outfielder Matt Kemp (hamstring) is progressing in his
rehab stint and went 1-for-4 with an RBI over seven innings in his third rehab
appearance for Class A Rancho Cucamonga. Kemp is expected to play a few games
in the minors and is slated to participate in the Home Run Derby on Monday as
part of the All-Star festivities.
Clayton Kershaw may start the All-Star Game on Tuesday, but first must get
through the Diamondbacks tonight. Kershaw, the reigning NL Cy Young Award
winner, has performed well throughout his career against Arizona, going 7-2
with a 1.92 earned run average in 11 starts. He defeated the D-backs on May 14
at Dodger Stadium with seven shutout innings in a 3-1 triumph.
Kershaw is coming off Sunday's 8-3 victory over the New York Mets and helped
the club end a seven-game slide by yielding three runs -- one earned --
through seven innings. The left-hander also struck out nine batters to improve
to 6-4 in 17 starts to go along with a 2.65 ERA.
Arizona is mired in a six-game slide and is 0-4 so far on a seven-game
homestand. All-Star Wade Miley suffered his second straight loss last night
and third in five tries by giving up four runs and eight hits in 6 2/3
innings.
"I left some balls up, I just wasn't executing pitches, missing up in the
zone, trying to go away and the ball comes back over the plate. They were
making me pay," Miley said.
Stephen Drew knocked in the lone run for the Diamondbacks. The D-backs are
still 10-5 in their last 15 games in the desert. They had homered in 15
straight games until Thursday's loss.
Arizona second baseman Aaron Hill went 0-for-3 had his 19-game home hitting
streak snapped. Hill also lost out in the final vote for a spot on the NL All-
Star roster. Outfielder Jason Kubel also finished 0-for-3, but still leads the
majors with 34 RBI in 26 games since June 5.
Taking the mound for Arizona Friday night will be Josh Collmenter. Collmenter
could be making his final start since injured left Joe Saunders is slated to
come off the disabled list soon. Collmenter is 0-2 in 16 games (6 starts) with
a 4.41 ERA this season and did not record a decision in Sunday's 2-1 loss at
Milwaukee in which he was reached for just a run in six innings.
Collmenter, a right-hander is 1-2 with a 7.07 ERA in four career games, three
of which have been starts, against the Dodgers.
LA has won four of six matchups with the D-backs this season and is 7-3 in
the past 10 meetings between the division foes. The Dodgers also have won five
of their last seven trips to Chase Field.
07/06 10:47:33 ET

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