Playoff hopefuls resume set at Chavez Ravine

Sep 15, 2007, 14:46 GMT

- Two playoff hopeful clubs will clash again this afternoon when the National League West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks battle the wild card-contending Los Angeles Dodgers in the middle portion of a three-game series at Chavez Ravine.

The Dodgers drew first blood with a 7-4 victory on Friday. The win kept them 1 1/2 games behind the wild card-leading San Diego Padres, who bested the Giants on Friday. The club also moved with 4 1/2 games of Arizona in the division standings.

The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, saw their lead over second-place San Diego dwindle to three games.

Brad Penny threw five innings yesterday on the way to getting a win. Penny (16-4) allowed six hits and four runs -- three earned -- with three walks and six strikeouts. The 16 wins equals a career-best, set last year.

Matt Kemp had an RBI triple as part of a four-run fifth inning, while Nomar Garciaparra had three hits, one a homer, for Los Angeles, which won its third game in a row.

Arizona's Doug Davis (13-12) had a three-game winning streak snapped as the lefty yielded nine hits and six runs -- four earned -- in 4 2/3 frames.

Mark Reynolds belted a two-run homer and had three RBI for Arizona, which started this series with seven wins in its last eight contests. However, the Diamondbacks fell to 5-8 against the Dodgers this season.

The Diamondbacks will send Livan Hernandez to the mound this afternoon, and the right-hander is 10-9 with a 4.78 earned run average this year. Hernandez bested the Padres on September 5 before posting a no-decision on Monday against the Giants. He allowed three runs and eight hits over six innings of work against San Francisco, walking three and striking out four.

The Cuban defeated the Dodgers on August 4 to start a personal three-game winning streak, and is 8-12 with a 4.31 ERA in 26 career starts against them.

Derek Lowe starts for the Dodgers. He won his final three starts of August before losing to the Padres on September 1 after allowing seven runs (six earned) over 4 1/3 innings of work. He then toed the rubber on September 6 in Chicago and didn't factor into the decision of his club's win after yielding three runs on five hits and five walks over six innings of work. Lowe is 11-12 on the season with a 3.80 ERA and missed his last scheduled start because of a hand injury.

The right-hander lost to Arizona on August 4, getting charged with six runs (four earned), over five innings, and is just 2-6 in 11 career starts against them with a 4.85 ERA.

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