Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers have alternated first-place with the St. Louis Cardinals all season long based on hot and cold streaks by each team. Currently the Brewers are the cold team and it could get a lot chillier in Milwaukee as the MLB-best Los Angeles Dodgers come in for the final series of the first-half, a team they have not beaten in a season series since 2000.

The Milwaukee Brewers (44-41) dropped two of three to the division leading Cardinals in their last series to fall two games behind. Their recent woes have had a lot to do with that powerful offense hitting the skids in which they have been shut out three times in their last 10 games after being shutout only once before this year.

Four Milwaukee batters reached base in the series finale, 5-1 loss to St. Louis on Thursday, as they garnered just three hits, but three of the four were erased with double plays.

Offense has not been a problem for the Los Angeles Dodgers (54-31) since Manny Ramirez’s return to the lineup last week. The slugger struggled when he was first back in the lineup, but has come along lately and powered his team to average 6.7 runs and go 4-2 on their current road trip.

All-Star Chad Billingsley (9-4, 3.14) will take the mound for Los Angeles looking to keep the Milwaukee bats silent.

Billingsley has not been at his best lately as he has tried four previous times to reach double-digit wins. In his last four tries he is 0-1 with a 4.55 ERA although in his last outing he pitched better, allowing three runs on four hits into the ninth inning, but saw closer Jonathan Broxton blow the save and Billingsley’s 10th win. Los Angeles did coe back to win, 7-6, in 13 innings, however.

Facing him will be Braden Looper (7-4, 4.78) who looks for his fourth straight quality start and his third straight victory. Looper was the winning pitcher when he allowed two runs on six innings in an 11-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

This will be the first meeting of the year between the teams. Los Angeles took four of six in 2008.

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