After a successful homestand, the Dodgers embark on a 10-game road trip which begins Friday night against the Reds at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. Hiroki Kuroda gets the start for the Dodgers, looking to snap a personal two-game losing streak. The Dodgers have won four of their last six games, capturing home series with Florida and Colorado before heading on the road.
Kuroda is 5-5 this season with a 3.50 ERA in 11 starts. However, he has allowed 11 runs (nine earned runs) in his last 11 innings in losses to the White Sox and Marlins. The last time Kuroda faced the Reds was last July 15 in Cincinnati, when the Dodgers bludgeoned the Reds 12-0.
Bronson Arroyo starts for the Reds. Arroyo is 3-5 with a 5.74 ERA in 11 starts this season. The Dodgers are expected to activate relief pitcher Vicente Padilla from the disabled list before tonight's contest. The corresponding move is not yet known, but Ken Gurnick of MLB.com floated the idea that it could be starter Jon Garland, who did not accompany the team on the flight to Cincinnati. Then again, Garland isn't slated to pitch until Tuesday.
Tonight's 4:10 p.m. PDT game will be televised on Prime Ticket. For more news and information about the Dodgers, or on tonight's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.