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Padres visit Dodgers in NL West Division showdown

Jun 29, 2007 - 2:20 PM San Diego (44-33) at LA Dodgers (45-34) 10:40 pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- After asserting their dominance over a pair of division rivals during the week, the National League West Division co-leading Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres begin a three-game series at Dodger Stadium on Friday.

Hong-Chih Kuo (1-3, 6.33 ERA) takes the mound for the Dodgers, who won three of four games from Arizona this past week.

Kuo, who faced San Diego in his second start of the season on June 7, has surrendered 11 runs and 10 hits over his last two starts - both losses. In a 9-4 loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday, he went 5 1/3 innings, permitting three runs and four hits with eight strikeouts.

Kuo will need to pitch well if he hopes to beat San Diego's Chris Young (7-3, 2.08), who was in fine form on Saturday in a 6-1 win over Boston.

Young yielded just one hit and struck out a season-high 11 over seven scoreless innings against the Red Sox. The former Princeton basketball player has been spectacular since his last loss to St. Louis on May 12, allowing one run or less in a start six times.

San Diego swept a three-game series from Los Angeles earlier this month and is 5-4 overall this season against the Dodgers.