Dodgers start Esteban Loaiza, RHP (2-2, 4.55) vs. Livan Hernandez, RHP (10-10, 4.86)
Dodgers: 79-74 (4th place NL West, 7.0 GB; 5th place WC, 6.5 GB; L5)
D’Backs: 86-67 (1st place NL West, - GB; W2)
Current postseason odds for the Dodgers, from Baseball Prospectus: 0.20%
From Dodgers.com, the scouting report on the starters:
Dodgers: Loaiza has been a disappointment so far. He doesn't throw hard, but he's not throwing strikes, either. He walked seven in 4 2/3 innings in a critical game against Arizona on Sunday, allowing a three-run homer to Chris Snyder. In three starts for the Dodgers, Loaiza has walked 12 in 15 innings. He's made six starts in his career against the Diamondbacks without a victory.
Snakes: Four batters into his last start against the Dodgers, Hernandez found himself staring up at a 4-0 deficit. The right-hander allowed a leadoff single, a walk, another single which scored a run, and then the big blow -- a three-run homer by Luis Gonzalez. Hernandez then tossed four shutout innings before giving up a solo homer to Andre Ethier in the sixth, but by then it was too late, as the D-backs fell, 6-2. In his start prior to that, Hernandez gave up three runs on eight hits over six innings against the Giants.
COMMENTS: This season is going down the drain and now Jeff Kent is sounding off to the media. I still like the youth movement and Grady should get the rookies some experience in the big leagues. Now the only thing left is whom we should we play spoiler to, Arizona or San Diego?