Opponent: Los Angeles Dodgers (37-35).

Site: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles.

TV, radio: All games on Fox Sports Pittsburgh, KDKA-AM (1020) and Pirates Radio Network.

Starting matchup: LHP Oliver Perez (2-9, 6.10) vs. RHP Brett Tomko (5-6, 5.45), LHP Zach Duke (5-6, 4.66) vs. RHP Aaron Sele (3-2, 3.09), RHP Kip Wells (0-1, 16.20) vs. RHP Brad Penny (7-2, 2.83).

Season series: 2-2.

Three things to know about the Dodgers: 1. They ended May on an 11-4 surge, but June brought a 7-12 reversal, including losses in five of the past six games. 2. Some familiar names will be missing or out of place. 3B Bill Mueller is out, maybe for the season, because of knee surgery last month. In his place is Cesar Izturis, a freshly converted shortstop who made his first start of the season last night after offseason elbow surgery. (Rafael Furcal is keeping his job at short.) And RHP Eric Gagne is out with nerve pain in his reconstructed elbow. 3. Few opponents torture the Pirates as does 1B Olmedo Saenz. In Pittsburgh April 10-13, he was 8 for 14 with two home runs and seven RBIs. For his career, he bats .455.

The Pirates' key to success: Wear down Los Angeles' starters. The bullpen -- reduced to three rookies, two displaced starters, Danys Baez and Joe Beimel --- has taken 17 losses, most in Major League Baseball.

The intangible: Who will win the head-to-head battle between Freddy Sanchez and Dodgers 1B Nomar Garciaparra for the league batting lead?

On deck: A six-game home- stand with the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers.