Game 20 Thread: April 24 vs. Giants, 7.10p

Dodgers start Derek Lowe, RHP (2-2, 4.56) vs. Matt Morris, RHP (2-0, 2.00).

Dodgers: 13-6 (1st place NL West, best record in the major leagues, 2.0 GA, L1)
Giants: 9-8 (3rd place NL West, 3.0 GB, W5)

From Dodgers.com, the scouting report on the starters:

Dodgers: Lowe is coming off one of those Coors Field messes, having allowed more runs than innings pitched. As usual, he couldn't get Brad Hawpe out, which won't be a problem in this game against the Giants. Prior to that, Lowe pitched an eight-inning gem against San Diego. He beat the Giants on April 7, allowing one run over seven innings.

Giants: After allowing 22 home runs in 207 2/3 innings last season, Morris has surrendered just one longball in 18 innings so far, and that was to ex-St. Louis teammate Albert Pujols in his last start. Control has been a mild issue for Morris, who has issued 10 walks. But only one of those free passes has come around to score. The Giants are 3-0 in his starts.

COMMENTS

• The Giants are riding a five-game winning streak, including three straight one-run decisions, and Barry Bonds has heated up. Bonds leads the NL with six HR and has hit home runs in three of the last four games. On the other hand, he has never hit one against Derek Lowe (he is 0-for-6 lifetime), and the AP reports Lowe "hasn't allowed a homer in his last six starts and just one in 14 appearances since Aug. 14, 2006. Lowe's average of 0.58 home runs allowed per nine innings was third-lowest in the majors last season among pitchers who threw at least 162 innings.
• And how about some more about Lowe, who is dominant at Dodger Stadium? The right-hander is 5-0 with a 1.46 ERA in his last six home games.
• The Dodgers have won 12 of the last 13 games against the Giants, including an eight-game winning streak to date as well as a four-game winning streak at Dodger Stadium. Even the goofy little "Accuscore" thingy on ESPN.com gives the Dodgers a 62% chance of winning tonight.
• All of this positive talk has me certain that we're going to lose the series. Let's see if we can pick up game 1 tonight.

UPDATE

The lineup, from Inside the Dodgers:

Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Garciaparra, 1B
Kent, 2B
Gonzalez, LF
Martin, C
Ethier, RF
Betemit, 3B
Lowe, P