The Los Angeles Dodgers have maintained their lead atop the NL West despite the fact that they've only been able to beat the Cincinnati Reds over the last week and a half.
Los Angeles reached its low point during its slump the last time Brett Anderson pitched, and he'll take the mound looking to help deliver another win over the Reds on Wednesday night in Cincinnati.
The Dodgers (68-56) took the final three of a four-game series with the Reds (52-72) that ended Aug. 16, then proceeded to drop two in Oakland and three in Houston over the weekend.
Justin Turner went 1 for 22 over his previous six before hitting a two-run homer in Tuesday's 5-1 win over Cincinnati that snapped an eight-game road losing streak. Jimmy Rollins, who was 3 for 22 during the Dodgers' five-game skid, also hit a two-run shot and doubled.
Los Angeles' offense came to life after scoring nine times while hitting .163 during its winless stretch. It has kept a slim division lead despite its recent issues with San Francisco unable to capitalize during its own slump.
"It's a very big win - needed," Rollins said. "It was good to get back on track. The marathon part of the season is over. Now, it's a five-week sprint."
Anderson (7-8, 3.52 ERA) went 4-2 with a 2.43 ERA in nine starts from June 16-Aug. 5 to bring his ERA down to 3.06, but he's gone 1-2 with a 6.88 ERA over his last three. His lone victory in that stretch came when he gave up three runs in six innings of an 8-3 win over the Reds on Aug. 15 in his only career start against them.
The left-hander didn't get any support Friday as Houston's Mike Fiers no-hit the Dodgers.
"The only way we would have had a chance is if we would have (held the Astros) scoreless," Anderson said after the 3-0 defeat. "It doesn't matter if I gave up one, two, three or 10, we were going to lose. You just have to tip your cap to Fiers and move on to the next one."
Anderson again will be matched up against David Holmberg (1-3, 6.57), who allowed a career-high seven runs and five hits - including homers from Kike Hernandez, Adrian Gonzalez and Turner - while walking four over two-plus innings in the shortest of his 11 career starts.
The left-hander wasn't much better Friday, giving up two homers, five runs and a career-worst 11 hits in a 6-3 loss to Arizona.
"It was another night when the command I'm looking for wasn't there," Holmberg said. "I need to go deeper in the game."
Reds starters have gotten an out past the sixth inning just twice while posting a 7.01 ERA over their last 14. The offense didn't provide much help Tuesday, mustering only Todd Frazier's RBI double in the sixth after ending a nine-game losing streak with Monday's 12-5 win over Detroit.
Frazier, Brandon Phillips and Ivan De Jesus Jr. finished with two hits apiece for the Reds, who have dropped nine of 10 at home.
Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson, once considered to be among the front-runners for NL Rookie of the Year, is expected to be out of the starting lineup for the fourth straight game. He's batting .093 with 24 strikeouts since July 26 and has four hits in his last 41 at-bats against left-handers.
Yasmani Grandal likely won't play until Thursday because of a sore left shoulder.
