=== Los Angeles Dodgers Team Report - August 10 ===

(My Sportsbook) - A sensational pitcher's duel is on tap this afternoon in Los Angeles, as Mark Prior and the Chicago Cubs face off against Kevin Brown and the Dodgers in the finale of their three-game set at Dodger Stadium.

Los Angeles will send Brown o the mound this afternoon. The veteran righthander picked up his first win in seven starts on Tuesday when he defeated the Cincinnati Reds to raise his mark to 11-5 on the season, while pitching to a 2.13 ERA,

In the contest the 38-year-old injury-plagued hurler allowed two runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. He also struck out nine and walked a batter.

Brown has not faced the Cubs this season but owns a 5-3 mark against them for his career with a 2.54 ERA in 11 starts.

In the second game of the set on Saturday, Wilson Alvarez tossed seven shutout innings and Robin Ventura hit a two-run homer, leading the Dodgers to a 6-1 win.

Ventura finished with three runs batted in for Los Angeles, which has won six straight games. Dave Roberts had two hits, including an inside-the-park home run, in the win.

Alvarez (2-1) gave up just four hits while striking out six and walking none. Paul Shuey gave up a run and a hit in the eighth, but worked a scoreless ninth to close out the game.

LA closer Eric Gagne was given the night off on Saturday, but the talented righthander has retired the last 22 batters he has faced, 13 by way of the strikeout. His 39 saves are a major league record for consecutive saves to start a season. Gagne has also converted his last 47 save chances dating to last season.

His last blown save came on August 26, 2002, in a 6-3 loss to Arizona.

A win today by the Dodgers would give them their first three-game sweep over the Cubs in LA since taking three in a row from Chicago from April 24-26, 1998. The Dodgers swept a three-game series from the Cubs last season (4/26-4/28) in the Windy City.

The Dodgers have won 11 of the last 12 games OF Roberts has scored in, and are 21-9 in such games this season.

The Dodgers own a 34-25 mark at home this season.

LA went 4-2 last year versus Chicago and have won eight of the last 10 matchups.