The Dodgers seek to snap a three-game losing streak Tuesday night, facing the Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Hiroki Kuroda gets the start for L.A., while former Dodger Randy Wolf takes the mound for Milwaukee. The Dodgers, who lost 2-1 Monday night to Milwaukee, have scored just two runs in their last three games, and have scored only eight runs in their last five contests.
Kuroda will be pitching on five days rest, the beneficiary of Jon Garland moving up to pitch Monday just four days after his own start was rained out after two innings last week in Pittsburgh. Kuroda threw 113 pitches in his last outing, last Tuesday against the Pirates, in which Kuroda stuck out eight batters in seven scoreless innings. Kuroda is 4-3 this season with a 3.21 ERA.
Wolf, the former El Camino Real High graduate, pitched for the Dodgers in 2007 and 2009, before signing a three-year, $29.75 million deal with the Brewers before the 2010 season. Wolf is 3-3 with a 4.11 ERA so far this season, though he has allowed 11 runs and 19 hits in 8 1/3 innings over his last two starts, both losses for Milwaukee.
Wolf is one of four left-handed pitchers the Dodgers expect to face this week. The Dodger offense has been at least marginally better against southpaws this season, hitting .254/.321/.377, compared to .251/.312/.351 against right-handers. However, with the right-handed Marcus Thames on the disabled list with a right quad injury, the Dodgers lose an option to bolster their lineup. With Thames, he can play left field with the right-handed Jerry Sands at first base, but as it stands now Sands will likely play left field. James Loney, hitting .171/.167/.171 against southpaws this season and .256/.313/.369 in his career, will likely remain at first base, unless manager Don Mattingly decides to start rookie Russ Mitchell, who bats right-handed.
Tonight's 7:10 p.m. PDT game will be televised by KCAL. For more news and information on the Dodgers, or on tonight's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.