Arizona is currently 0-7 on a three-city, nine-game road trip against Colorado, San Francisco and Los Angeles. This recent stretch leaves the team with a less than desirable 7-17 mark against the division (-1,000). The team has compiled a 6-11 mark when playing a series finale so far in 2010, including dropping the last four such games on the road (-408). The Diamondbacks’ 20-32 record (-1,180) is the third-worst 52-game start in club history behind the inaugural 1998 season and the beginning of the 2004 season. Don’t expect things to change with Wednesday’s starting time, with Arizona coming in with a 5-11 daytime record (-600). One offensive bright spot for the team is the right-side of the infield, as 1B Adam LaRoche and 2B Kelly Johnson have combined for 19 home runs and 58 RBI this season.
Diamondbacks SP Edwin Jackson is suffering through a terrible start to the 2010 campaign, posting a 3-6 record and 6.03 ERA (-520). These numbers are vastly different from the 13-9 mark and 3.62 ERA he tallied at Detroit, earning him an All-Star game appearance. The right-hander is an even 1-1 with a 5.68 ERA in two career starts against the Dodgers, allowing 16 hits over 12.2 innings of work. Jackson has produced little results in two daytime starts, going 1-1 with an inflated 9.82 ERA, managing to strike out just three batters in 11 innings. Most of that damage was a result of his May 2 start at Wrigley Field, surrendering eight earned runs on 11 hits to the Cubs.
Los Angeles has absolutely owned Arizona at Dodger Stadium recently, producing a 14-4 mark in their last 18 meetings here. Manager Joe Torre wouldn’t mind playing the division in all 162 games this season, as his team is a solid 16-5 against the NL West this year (+1,140) and 102-63 the past three years (+2,250). The Dodgers pitching staff was instrumental in producing the team’s May turnaround, compiling a 20-8 record and 3.72 ERA, in comparison to its 9-14 mark and 4.79 ERA in April. Everyone in the dugout must turn the page, as Los Angeles has produced a 25-28 losing record in June the last three years (-700)
Dodgers SP Carlos Monasterios will make his third career start, currently checking in with a perfect 2-0 record and 2.20 ERA (+240). He fell just short of earning a spot in the starting rotation to begin the season, impressing the coaching staff by allowing just three earned runs in 16 innings during spring training. The 24-year-old rookie has made two career relief appearances against the Diamondbacks, allowing an earned run on a single hit while walking two. Wednesday will mark his first career daytime start, as he’s allowed one earned run and seven hits over 6.2 innings.
It will be tough for bettors to back the road team in this contest based on the recent struggles away from Chase Field and the home team’s divisional-dominance. The Dodgers’ bullpen will certainly be a player at some point, based on the fact that Monasterios has yet to last past the fifth inning. Arizona’s relievers have been absolutely horrendous on the road this season, with an 8.77 combined ERA.
