Dodgers Look For Third Straight Win, Facing Padres

Tonight's game features a battle of opening day starters with a 3.21 ERA this season. Hiroki Kuroda, who started on opening day in 2009 for the Dodgers, is 3-2 this season and has averaged roughly 6 2/3 innings per start. Kuroda came within one out of a complete game shutout against these Padres three weeks ago tonight. In his last 20 starts, Kuroda has 17 unintentional walks and 104 strikeouts, a ratio of 6.12 to one. He has a scoreless streak of 16 1/3 innings against the Padres, dating back to last season.

Tim Stauffer, who started opening day for the Padres this season, also has a 3.21 ERA and, like Kuorda, is making his sixth start of the season tonight. However, Stauffer is without a win this season, in part because of poor run support. The Padres have scored five total runs in his five starts during the 28 innings that he has been in the game. Stauffer is 3-2 with a 3.31 ERA in eight games (six starts) against the Dodgers in his career.

Lineups

Jerry Sands is back batting second tonight and, with a right-handed pitcher on the mound, is back playing left field, with James Loney playing first base. Aaron Miles is batting leadoff for the seventh time this season.

Brad Hawpe is batting eighth for the Padres tonight. The only other Padres first baseman since the beginning of 2008 to bat eighth was Oscar Salazar, who hit eighth last June 24. Believe it or not, Adrian Gonzalez batted eighth for the Padres five times, back in May 2006. San Diego first basemen this season (all but one PA from Hawpe and Jorge Cantu) have combined to hit .137/.189/.206 this season. Hawpe, it should be noted, is 7-for-16 with a double and a home run, hitting .438/.412/.688 in his career against Kuroda.

Game Time: 7:10 p.m.

TV: Prime Ticket

MLB Gameday