Beckett tries to pitch Dodgers to series win in Arizona

Josh Beckett tries for his first win of the season on Sunday when the Los Angeles Dodgers conclude a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

With Zack Greinke sidelined for at least the next two months, the Dodgers are going to need a lot more from Beckett, who enters Sunday's finale sporting an 0-1 mark and 4.91 ERA.

Beckett did not get a decision against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, yielding three runs and six hits in five innings. He also struck out four and walked a batter in the 9-3 loss.

"Josh will be around the plate and he'll give up his share of hits, but he's got to keep himself in the game," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "He had a lot of pitches to that point. He'll be more efficient than that as time goes on.

"He's not the same guy he was before. He has to use more pitches to get through the innings."

Beckett has faced the Diamondbacks seven times and is 2-4 with a 4.36 ERA.

Arizona, meanwhile, will counter with righty Trevor Cahill, who has lost both of his starts and is pitching to a 5.91 ERA. Cahill's most recent setback came against Pittsburgh on Monday, as he allowed four runs and three hits in five innings.

"The whole game I think I was trying to find my arm slot, I felt like I couldn't control my fastball," Cahill said. "I felt fine, I just didn't know where it was going."

Cahill, though, is a perfect 4-0 versus the Dodgers with a 2.43 ERA in six starts.

On Saturday, Hyun-Jin Ryu struck out nine over six-plus innings and recorded his first three MLB hits to help Los Angeles to a 7-5 win. Ryu (2-1) surrendered three runs on six hits and a walk for the Dodgers, who beat the Diamondbacks for only the third time in the last 14 meetings.

"He works quick, he hits the corners, mixes speeds, he does a great job, he's been doing an incredible job," Adrian Gonzalez said of Ryu.

Gonzalez smacked a solo homer among his three hits and two RBI in the win.

Ian Kennedy (1-1) had won all three of his previous home starts against the Dodgers and tossed 13 2/3 scoreless innings over his last two home starts against them coming in, but he was shelled for six runs on 10 hits and four walks over 5 2/3 frames for Arizona, which lost for only the third time in nine tries.

Arizona was 12-6 against the Dodgers last season.