San Diego @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 16, 2013 ) San Diego 9, LA Dodgers 2

Clayton Kershaw will seek to silence the suddenly hot San Diego bats when the Los Angeles Dodgers conclude a three-game series against the visiting Padres on Wednesday. Kershaw is off to a strong start and has an 8-3 career mark against the Padres as he attempts to end Los Angeles’ three-game losing skid. San Diego has erupted for 15 runs while winning the first two games of the series. The Padres won 9-2 on Tuesday.

San Diego second baseman Alexi Amarista matched a career high with four RBIs Tuesday. The Padres might even have standout third baseman Chase Headley back for the finale. If not, Headley will be in the lineup when the Padres play the San Francisco Giants on Friday. The Dodgers have lost four of five games after a 6-3 start and standout center fielder Matt Kemp continues to struggle. Kemp struck out twice in three hitless at-bats Tuesday and is batting .185 with no homers, four RBIs and 17 strikeouts in 54 at-bats.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Tyson Ross (0-1, 4.82 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (2-1, 1.16)

Ross is making his 24th career start as he faces off against Kershaw. He has started twice against the Colorado Rockies this season, allowing two earned runs while losing his first outing and three earned runs while receiving a no-decision in the second. Ross has issued seven walks in 9 1/3 innings. He has never faced the Dodgers after spending parts of the last three seasons with the Oakland Athletics.

Kershaw needs one strikeout to become the 13th pitcher in Dodgers history to reach 1,000. He enters the contest with 967 1/3 innings pitched, which means he will reach the milestone faster than Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax (989 2/3). Kershaw threw 16 scoreless innings while winning his first two starts before allowing three runs and six hits in 7 1/3 innings while losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks in his last outing. He has a 2.28 ERA in 17 career starts against San Diego.

WALK-OFFS

1. San Diego 1B Yonder Alonso had three hits Tuesday and is 10-for-21 in five games against Los Angeles this season.

2. Dodgers OF Carl Crawford is 9-for-21 against the Padres this season and batting .339 in 56 career at-bats against San Diego.

3. Padres C Nick Hundley is batting .333 in 21 career at-bats against Kershaw.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 5, Padres 1