Game 25 Thread: April 29 @ Padres, 1.05p

Dodgers start Derek Lowe, RHP (2-3, 4.40) vs. David Wells, LHP (1-1, 6.00).

Dodgers: 14-10 (1st place NL West, 0.5 GA, L1)
Padres: 13-11 (T-3rd place NL West, 1.0 GB, W1)

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

Dodgers: Lowe has had two difficult outings following two very good ones. He has yielded nine runs -- seven of them earned -- on 17 hits in 11 2/3 innings in those past two outings, both losses. He has walked 15 batters in 30 2/3 innings this season.

Padres: Wells certainly wasn't fooling anyone in his last start when he allowed five runs on eight hits over five innings. Staked to a 6-3 lead entering the fifth inning against the Diamondbacks, Wells allowed two runs on two triples and two walks in the fifth inning. Still, Wells made enough big pitches to avoid further damage against a good Arizona lineup.

COMMENTS:

• It is almost unbelievable that that the Dodgers, losers of five of their last six, are still clinging to a first-place divisional lead. However the logjam in the NL West (AZ 0.5 GB, SF and SD 1.0 GB) will not give the Dodgers much more quarter beyond this. The Dodgers try and salvage a series win against San Diego this afternoon, followed by a three-game series at home against the Snakes which will (unlike the last two-game LA/AZ series) see some quality Arizona starting pitching.
• Last night, Furcal leads off and goes 0-for-4, the Pierre goes 3-for-4 with 2 runs. Pierre is followed by an 0-for-4 Nomar and then a 2-for-4 Kent (who had 2 RBI). It's almost like we're driving down a street with unsynchronized stoplights, and we have to keep stopping every 100 meters (shout out to our European fan base!). Let's see if we can string some hits together in the series finale.