Major League Baseball

Dodgers-Mariners Preview

Published Jun. 10, 2012 3:06 a.m. ET

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are trying to build on another offensive outburst.

Jerry Hairston Jr.'s recent stretch would mean he's likely to play a part in that.

The Dodgers will attempt to cap a 10-game road trip with a seventh victory as Hairston looks to continue his hot hitting Sunday against the Seattle Mariners.

Los Angeles (38-22), owner of the best record in baseball, seemed to quickly forget about being no-hit in Friday's series opener. The Dodgers collected 14 hits in an 8-3 win over Seattle (27-34) on Saturday, getting a homer, two doubles and five RBIs from Hairston.

"It's just a bounce-back," manager Don Mattingly said. "It tells you guys kind of recovered from last night. Didn't really set us off into any tailspin, obviously."

Los Angeles is 6-3 on this trip, winning five of the past six contests.

Hairston has certainly done his part. He's hitting .426 with 11 RBIs in his last 15 games after sitting out 16 with a left hamstring strain.

"I've been feeling pretty good for a while," Hairston said. "The biggest thing is I just want to make sure I have good at-bats."

Hairston is 9 for 22 with three doubles, one homer and eight RBIs in his last eight meetings with the Mariners.

Chad Billingsley (3-4, 3.80 ERA) will take the mound coming off one of his best outings of the season. The right-hander got his first win in 10 starts with Tuesday's 2-1 victory at Philadelphia, yielding one run and six hits in seven innings while outpitching Cliff Lee.

"Cliff was out there painting pitches," Billingsley said. "I knew I had to throw zeroes to keep up with him."

Billingsley won two of three interleague starts last year behind a 1.86 ERA. His only start against the Mariners came when he allowed five hits, four walks and two runs over five innings June 21, 2006.

Seattle has dropped five of six at home and will turn to Blake Beavan (3-5, 5.22), who is trying to rebound from perhaps the worst performance in his two years in the majors.

The right-hander was tagged for six runs and 10 hits, including a career high-tying three homers, in five innings of Tuesday's 6-1 road loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

"It's been like this the last couple of starts. I'm making good pitches and bad pitches at the same time," Beavan said. "I feel like I'm making a lot more good pitches than bad pitches, but nothing's going my way right now. I think the only thing I can do is keep working hard between starts and try to battle through it. Hopefully it will turn around."

Perhaps a return to interleague play can help Beavan. He's won his only two meetings with NL opposition, allowing three runs with 11 strikeouts in 12 innings.

Beavan has a 3.91 ERA in four home starts this season, a vast improvement over his 6.03 mark on the road.

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