San Diego @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 20, 2014 ) San Diego 4, LA Dodgers 1

Clayton Kershaw will start in place of Zack Greinke when the Los Angeles Dodgers host the San Diego Padres on Thursday in the finale of a three-game series. Greinke is dealing with elbow soreness and will be pushed back to Saturday and Kershaw was moved up one day for Los Angeles, which holds a three-game lead over San Francisco in the National League West. The Padres are 2-4 on a 10-game road trip after beating the Dodgers 4-1 on Wednesday.

San Diego’s no-name lineup outhit Los Angeles 11-6 in the second game of the series after the Dodgers won the opener by an 8-6 score. Padres starter Tyson Ross, who entered the season with nine career victories, has the task of trying to match performances with Kershaw, who has a strong chance of winning his third career Cy Young Award. Los Angeles first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is mired in a 10-game homerless drought and has just two homers over the last 26 games.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Tyson Ross (11-11, 2.70 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (14-3, 1.86)

Ross had a four-decision winning streak halted when he lost to St. Louis in his last turn. He gave up three runs and five hits against the Cardinals in a contest that ended a stretch of 10 starts in which he allowed two or fewer earned runs. Ross has a solid 2.84 ERA in three starts against Los Angeles this season but lost each of them and is 0-4 with a 2.91 ERA in seven career appearances (five starts) against the Dodgers.

Kershaw is 10-6 with a 2.38 ERA in 22 career starts against the Padres, including a complete game July 10 in which he struck out 11 and gave up one run on three hits. He had an 11-game winning streak snapped in his last outing when he gave up three runs and five hits and struck out 11 while going the distance against Milwaukee. Kershaw is 6-2 with a 1.94 ERA in 10 home starts this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Padres RHP Kevin Quackenbush recorded his first major-league save Wednesday with closer Joaquin Benoit (shoulder) unavailable.

2. San Diego OF Seth Smith had two hits on Wednesday and is 9-for-23 on the road trip.

3. Los Angeles OF Carl Crawford is 6-for-10 with three walks against Ross.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 2, Padres 1