D-backs return home to take on Dodgers

Following a successful end to their road trip, the Diamondbacks get another chance to end their woes at home. A matchup with the Dodgers could make that task a difficult one.

Owners of the best record in the majors, the Dodgers will seek a fifth straight win when they visit Chase Field for the first time this season Monday night.

Arizona dropped the opener of its just-completed seven-game trip 3-1 at Los Angeles on May 14 but salvaged a two-game split with the Dodgers the following day. The Diamondbacks (19-23) finished the trip with a 4-3 record after beating Kansas City 2-0 on Sunday, their second shutout of the season.

Neither shutout has come at Chase Field, where their staff has posted a 5.11 ERA. Arizona has dropped 12 of its last 15 at home, allowing opponents to bat .300 and average 5.9 runs in those contests.

That trend doesn't bode well for a matchup with the Dodgers (28-13), who have seen little drop in production despite a spate of injuries that includes Matt Kemp's trip to the disabled list for a strained hamstring. Los Angeles has taken two of three each of the last two times it has visited Arizona.

The Dodgers are batting .336 and outscoring the opposition 26-11 during their four-game winning streak, including a three-game home sweep of St. Louis over the weekend. Scott Van Slyke's first major league homer -- a three-run shot in the seventh inning Sunday -- gave the Dodgers a 6-5 comeback victory.

Andre Ethier added two hits Sunday, raising his average to .396 over his last 13 games.

Rookie left-hander Patrick Corbin (2-2, 5.73 ERA) draws the difficult task of trying to slow Los Angeles.

He'll need to perform better than he did Wednesday in his fourth major league start, giving up six runs and nine hits over six innings of a 6-1 loss at Colorado.

"I thought I made some good pitches and they found some spots," Corbin told the Diamondbacks' official website. "That's kind of how baseball goes. I felt like I got ahead of some guys and made some decent pitches and a couple got through."

Corbin pitched well in his only home start, allowing one run and three hits over seven innings of a 5-1 win over San Francisco on May 11.

He'll be opposed by onetime Diamondback Chris Capuano (5-1, 2.34), who got charged with his first loss in Wednesday's 4-2 defeat at San Diego.

The left-hander, who had yielded one run or fewer in four consecutive outings, gave up four over 6 1-3 innings to the Padres.

"I sort of lost focus and tried to get a certain outcome instead of just getting the ball down," he told the Diamondbacks' official website.

Capuano, who made his major league debut for the Diamondbacks in 2003, hasn't fared well against his original team lately, going 0-4 with a 5.40 ERA over the last five times he's faced them. He gave up four runs over six innings in a 5-3 loss for the New York Mets at Chase Field on Aug. 14.

Arizona shortstop Willie Bloomquist, 11 for 24 over his last five games, is 1 for 3 in his career against Capuano, while first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has two doubles in three at-bats.