Los Angeles @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 9, 2013 ) LA Dodgers 3, San Diego 9

Maybe the San Diego Padres should have shortened the fences at Petco Park years ago. After being held to one home run in their first six games, the Padres blasted two homers on Tuesday in their home opener at the remodeled Petco Park. San Diego snapped a three-game losing streak with the 9-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose bullpen allowed six runs in the final two innings. The Dodgers will look to get back on track behind Chad Billingsley, set to make his season debut.

While the Padres’ offense awakened from their slow start on Tuesday, Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp continues to struggle with three hits in his first 25 at-bats. Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez have carried the Dodgers’ offense, which is hoping to get shortstop Hanley Ramirez back by the middle of May. Luis Cruz has gone hitless in his first 17 at-bats while starting in place of Ramirez, who will have the cast on his right thumb removed later this week.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, Time Warner (Los Angeles), Fox Sports SD (San Diego)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Chad Billingsley (2012:10-9, 3.55 ERA) vs. Padres LH Eric Stults (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Billingsley had a 7.04 ERA in three spring training appearances before suffering a bruised right finger late in camp. He was medically cleared after allowing four runs (three earned) over four innings during a rehab start for Class A Rancho Cucamonga last Thursday. Everth Cabrera is 1-for-14 lifetime against Billingsley, who is 12-8 with a 2.62 ERA in 26 career games (22 starts) against the Padres while holding San Diego hitters to a .217 batting average.

Stults will be making his second career start against his former team after giving up one run over six innings last July against the Dodgers. He had seven strikeouts and two walks over five scoreless innings against the Mets in his first start last Thursday. The Padres have won nine of his last 11 starts dating to last season, when he went 8-3 with a 2.92 ERA. The 33-year-old Stults was drafted by the Dodgers in 2002.

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez has six consecutive two-hit games against the Padres.

2. San Diego rookie 2B Jedd Gyorko has hit safely in six of his first seven games.

3. Dodgers LHP Ted Lilly (shoulder) is scheduled to make his second minor league rehab start for Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 6, Padres 5