Los Angeles @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 24, 2012 ) LA Dodgers 2, St. Louis 8

Trying to stay alive in the National League Central, the St. Louis Cardinals host the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday in the third of a four-game series. St. Louis improved to 4-1 on this homestand and snapped their eight-game losing skid to Los Angeles after Tuesday’s 8-2 win. The Cardinals sit six games behind Cincinnati and 3 ½ behind Pittsburgh in the division. It is unclear if St. Louis will have first baseman Lance Berkman on Wednesday. He left Tuesday’s game after being hit by a pitch on his right knee – the same knee that required surgery in May.

The Dodgers are 24-25 on the road this season, but they’re 4-1 on the current 10-game trip that concludes with three critical games at San Francisco. Led by center fielder Matt Kemp (.352), Los Angeles has scored 35 runs in its past six games (5.8 per game). The Dodgers acquired third baseman Hanley Ramirez and reliever Randy Choate from Miami for pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and minor-league hurler Scott McGough late Tuesday night.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN, FS-M, KCAL

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Aaron Harang (7-5, 3.46 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Kyle Lohse (10-2, 2.71 ERA)

In 24 career starts against the Cardinals, Harang is 7-13 with a 4.47 ERA. Rafael Furcal is 10-for-21 (.476) against him, and Carlos Beltran is 10-for-29 (.345) with two homers. Overall this season, batters are hitting .248 against Harang, who’s allowed five earned runs in his last three starts covering 19 innings.

Lohse has allowed two or fewer earned runs in six straight starts and has thrown nine straight quality starts. He’s walked just 22 in 129 1/3 innings, and batters are hitting .245 against him. However, in nine career appearances against the Dodgers, Lohse is 2-3 with a 5.36 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Dodgers have outscored their opponents by 10 runs, while the Cardinals have outscored theirs by 90.

2. Dodgers rookie SS Luis Cruz has nine RBIs in his last seven games.

3. Furcal has four RBIs and three runs scored in the last three games. He has three two-hit games in the last four.