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Aug 4, 2010 - 6:18 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

San Diego (62-43) at Los Angeles (55-52), 10:10 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers avoided falling into a double-digit hole behind the San Diego Padres in the NL West, snapping their six-game losing streak in the process.

Now, they hope they're ready to start moving back up the standings.

The Dodgers try to pull to within seven games of the NL-best Padres on Wednesday night at Chavez Ravine as the clubs continue their four-game set.

Los Angeles (55-52) fell nine games behind San Diego (62-43) in the West after a 10-5 loss Monday, and seemed in danger of watching its season spiral out of control if it didn't make a quick recovery.

The Dodgers made such a recovery Tuesday thanks to one of their trade-deadline acquisitions. Ted Lilly, who came over from the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, retired the last 20 hitters he faced to combine with relievers Hong-Chih Kuo and Jonathan Broxton in nailing down a 2-1 win.

"When you go to a new club, it's awfully nice to be able to pay dividends right away," manager Joe Torre said. "This kid has got a lot of passion inside, but he's really calm out there."

Vicente Padilla (4-3, 3.47 ERA) tries to help the Dodgers pull closer Wednesday, but they'll need him to pitch better than he did Thursday in San Diego. The right-hander gave up two runs while laboring through four innings, throwing 90 pitches and leaving without a decision in a 3-2 loss.

Perhaps all he'll need is the change of venue to be successful. Padilla, who's 1-1 with a 3.74 ERA in eight starts against the Padres, is 3-2 with a 2.02 ERA at home this season - nearly three runs lower than his ERA away from Dodger Stadium.

Wade LeBlanc (5-9, 3.49) gets the call for San Diego, hoping to revert to the form he showed in the season's first two months. The left-hander was 4-4 with a 2.88 ERA through 12 starts, but has gone 1-5 with a 4.46 ERA in seven outings since.

Opponents hit LeBlanc for a higher better in that first stretch (.283) than the second (.265), but he's become prone to the long ball lately. He's surrendered 11 homers in 42 1-3 innings since June 24 after surrendering only five in his first 68 2-3 frames.

LeBlanc gave up five hits - two homers - and four runs over 6 1-3 innings Friday in a 4-2 home loss to Florida.

"Absolutely it's a concern," LeBlanc said of his recent binge of allowing homers. "It's not something that I'm going to brush off but it's not the end of the world. I don't feel like I'm getting away with anything.

"It seems like (my mistakes) are not going for doubles or singles, they're going for home runs."

LeBlanc is 1-3 with a 4.91 ERA in five starts against Los Angeles, but his last two outings versus the Dodgers have been outstanding. One was a win and the other a loss, but he allowed a total of four hits and one run over 13 innings.

With Manny Ramirez on the disabled list, no active Dodger has homered off LeBlanc. Catcher Russell Martin is 4 for 9 with two walks.

Martin, however, may not play Wednesday. He'll undergo an MRI after injuring his right hip when he was thrown out at the plate in the bottom of the second inning of Tuesday's win.

Shortstop Rafael Furcal, meanwhile, had an MRI on Tuesday on his lower back. Furcal, who suffered the injury in Monday's loss, could miss a few days.