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Sep 12, 2009 - 6:51 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Los Angeles (84-58) at San Francisco (76-65), 9:05 p.m. EDT

Despite a convincing win, the Los Angeles Dodgers couldn't open up any breathing room in a tightening NL West race

They hope one of their most reliable starters of late will help them extend their division lead as Vicente Padilla will try to earn his third straight win with Los Angeles on Saturday night against the host San Francisco Giants.

The Dodgers (84-68) moved 2 1/2 games ahead of Colorado with Friday's 10-3 victory over the Giants (76-65), but the Rockies scored all their runs in the ninth inning to rally for a 4-1 win in San Diego less than a half hour later.

"It feels like we're the best team in the division. That confidence keeps the team from stressing or panicking," Dodgers infielder Mark Loretta told the teams' official Web site.

Casey Blake hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and added an RBI single during a five-run seventh, and Russell Martin followed with a two-run double as the Dodgers scored in double digits for second time in 35 games.

After enduring some inconsistent performances, Los Angeles' lineup has gotten back on track by averaging 6.3 runs and batting .300 while winning three of four. James Loney has led the way by hitting .476 with two homers and eight RBIs over the last six games.

Padilla (2-0, 2.76 ERA) will try to benefit in his fourth start since returning to the NL after three-plus seasons in Texas.

The right-hander, who was signed to a minor league contract Aug. 19 after being released by the Rangers two days earlier, earned his second win Monday by allowing two runs and six hits over six innings in a 7-2 victory at Arizona.

Padilla faces the Giants for the first time since Aug. 23, 2005 while with Philadelphia, and is 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in six career starts against them. He's 3-0 with a 2.86 ERA in four career starts at AT&T Park.

San Francisco did not get a pivotal nine-game stretch started off right as it fell 5 1/2 games behind the Rockies in the NL wild card race. The Giants, who play five more games against the Dodgers and three versus the Rockies in a nine-day span, are only one game ahead of Florida for the wild card and are 7 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the West.

"We've fallen back and now it's up to us to be resilient, be tough about this and bounce back," manager Bruce Bochy said.

San Francisco needs to score runs if it wants to make up ground as it has averaged 2.9 over the last 10 games while batting .207.

The Giants (76-65) will start Jonathan Sanchez (6-11, 4.03), who is searching for his second win in seven starts. Aside from giving him six runs in a win over Colorado on Aug. 21, the Giants have averaged one run of support in his other five outings over the last month.

The left-hander gave up one run and three hits while striking out nine over six innings Sunday in Milwaukee, but did not get a decision in a 2-1 loss in 12. He also yielded a run and three hits in six innings on Sept. 1 in Philadelphia, taking the loss in a 1-0 defeat.

He's 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three starts versus Los Angeles this year.