Los Angeles @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 28, 2010 ) LA Dodgers 1, San Diego 6

Runs may be scarce Thursday when the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres square off in the finale of a three-game series at pitcher-friendly Petco Park.

San Diego ace Mat Latos has won six straight decisions while Los Angeles veteran Vicente Padilla has put together six consecutive stellar outings over the past five weeks.

The teams split the first two games of the series and the Dodgers badly need a win Thursday to make up ground on the first-place Padres. San Diego leads third-place Los Angeles by six games in the National League West race.

Latos has been one of the top pitchers in the National League all season. Opponents are batting just .199 against Latos, who is 11-4 with a 2.48 earned-run average. He has gone 10-1 since starting the season 1-3.

Latos has allowed two runs or less in seven straight starts and 13 of his last 14. He gave up three runs to Philadelphia on June 4 in his only loss since May 1.

Latos has surrendered just three runs in 33 2/3 innings over his last five starts.

This will be Latos’ second career start against Los Angeles. He lost to the Dodgers last September.

Padilla (4-3, 3.41) has been just as impressive recently despite being just 3-2 with a no-decision over his splendid six-start run.

Padilla has allowed just six earned runs and 24 hits over his last 41 2/3 innings. He has struck out 34 hitters and walked just eight. Five of the walks came in one outing against St. Louis.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, bulked up a thin outfield Wednesday by acquiring veteran Scott Podsednik from the Kansas City Royals for Triple-A catcher Lucas May and low-level minor-league pitcher Elisaul Pimentel.

With Manny Ramirez (calf) and Reed Johnson (back) on the disabled list, the Dodgers have been rotating Xavier Paul and infielder Jamey Carroll in left field.

The 34-year-old Podsednik was hitting .309 with 30 steals for Kansas City.

Right fielder Andre Ethier returned to the starting lineup Wednesday after only being available for pinch-hitting duty Tuesday because of a stomach illness. Ethier delivered a two-run pinch single in Tuesday’s 2-0 victory.

Ethier went 0-for-4 on Wednesday and is in a 3-for-34 slump that has dropped his average to .299.

San Diego catcher Yorvit Torrealba is batting .415 in July and has an 11-game hitting streak. The hot streak has raised Torrealba’s average to .310.

Padres outfielder Kyle Blanks, on the disabled list since mid-May, will undergo season-ending reconstructive elbow surgery. It’s probable that he’ll miss part of the 2011 season.

Blanks was San Diego’s Opening Day left fielder but struggled mightily. He batted just .157 before being sidelined with the injury.