Reds at Dodgers
Los Angeles is lucky to have stoppers such as Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw to halt any significant losing streaks and they'll ride the momentum that their Cy Young-caliber pitchers provided into a four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds beginning Thursday at Dodger Stadium. After Greinke halted Los Angeles' season-long four-game losing streak Tuesday, Kershaw came along and retired the first 16 batters in the Dodgers' 3-0 victory Wednesday.
Los Angeles leads San Francisco by 3 1/2 games in the National League West and Adrian Gonzalez is doing his part at the plate to keep the Dodgers on top. The first baseman is batting .329 with four home runs and 13 RBIs in 22 games since the All-Star break. Cincinnati (50-62) improved to 2-4 on its 10-game road trip with a 7-3 victory in San Diego on Wednesday as Joey Votto broke out with a two-run homer among three hits after going 2-for-18 in the first five contests of the trek. Mat Latos tries to rebound from his first loss in a Dodgers uniform and opposes rookie Keyvius Sampson, who is coming off his first major-league victory in his second start.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Keyvius Sampson (1-1, 3.00) vs. Dodgers RH Mat Latos (4-8, 4.67)
Sampson allowed one run, four hits and three walks while striking out four in six innings of a 4-1 victory at Arizona on Saturday. "I'm here just trying to buy more starts,'' the 24-year-old Florida native told reporters. Sampson, who was claimed off waivers from San Diego during the offseason, lost to Pittsburgh 3-0 on Aug. 2 when he permitted three runs and struck out six in five innings and made his major-league debut with an inning of scoreless relief against the Pirates on July 30.
Latos was roughed up for six runs and seven hits in four innings of a 6-5 loss in Pittsburgh on Saturday in his second start with Los Angeles since being acquired from Miami at the trade deadline. The 27-year-old Virginia native, who hasn't reached 100 pitches in seven consecutive starts, earned a no-decision after permitting one run and four hits in six innings of a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 2 in his Dodgers' debut. Votto is 1-for-9 with two strikeouts and no walks against Latos, who was 1-1 with a 3.70 ERA in three starts versus Cincinnati while with San Diego to start his career before going 33-16 from 2012-14 with the Reds.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Dodgers lead the major leagues with 17 shutouts.
2. Los Angeles is expected to activate 3B Justin Turner (skin infection) from the 15-day disabled list sometime during the series.
3. The Reds have lost their last three series at Dodger Stadium.