Clayton Kershaw Looks To Carve Up Padres

Clayton Kershaw starts his second consecutive opening day for the Dodgers as they battle the San Diego Padres this afternoon at Petco Park. Kershaw has feasted on the Padres in his career.

Kershaw is 7-3 with a 2.32 ERA in 13 career starts against the Padres, including 3-1 with a 2.21 ERA in six starts in San Diego. He has never given up more than two runs in any of his six starts at Petco Park. Against today's Padres' lineup, Kershaw has been superb:

• Cameron Maybin: 1-for-6 with a walk
• Chris Denorfia: 2-for-9
• Chase Headley: Four doubles and a single in 27 at-bats
• Jesus Guzman: Single and double in 11 at-bats, with five strikeouts
• Nick Hundley: 6-for-18 with a double and a walk
• Yonder Alonso: has never faced Kershaw
• Orlando Hudson: 4-for-14 with two doubles and a home run
• Jason Bartlett: 1-for-9 with two walks
  

Hundley and Hudson are the only two batters in the lineup with any success against Kershaw, and the group is hitting a combined .223/.255/.309.

Notes

• Manager Don Mattingly talked briefly on Thursday with outgoing Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, and Mattingly characterized the encounter as a goodbye meeting. "I basically thanked him for giving me an opportunity when really a lot of people wouldn't have. I appreciated the confidence he had in me," Mattingly said.
• Mattingly, on starting his second season at the helm of the Dodgers: "I'm feeling more settled. I've got a year of managing under my belt. The guys know me better, I know them better. It's definitely a different feeling. But it's the same kind of energy, looking forward to the year."
• Dave Winfield stopped by the dugout to say hello to Mattingly, his former teammate with the New York Yankees. I asked Mattingly if he still gives Winfield a hard time for beating him on the final day of the season for the 1984 batting title. Mattingly, who went 4-for-5 on the final day of the season to edge Winfield in 1984, .343 to .340 (he trailed entering the day), said he did not needle the Hall of Famer.
  
  "Winny? He's awesome," Mattingly said. "I don't think he's worried about it."
• The Padres before the game placed starting pitcher Tim Stauffer, who wasn't scheduled to pitch this series, on the 15-day disabled list, and recalled reliever Brad Brach. Both the Padres and Dodgers will have an eight-man bullpen this weekend.
  

Starting Lineups

Game Time: 4:05 p.m.

TV: Prime Ticket

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