• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Dodgers send Haren to hill in San Diego

Apr 2, 2014 - 2:38 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - It's been a trying past two seasons for right-hander Dan Haren, but he gets a fresh start on Wednesday night in his Los Angeles Dodgers debut.

The former three-time All-Star will pitch the rubber match of a three-game series versus the San Diego Padres.

The 33-year-old has posted a 4.50 earned run average over the last two years, the first spent with the Los Angeles Angels before pitching with the Washington Nationals in 2013. In that two-season span, he went 22-27 in 61 games and his 4.88 ERA last year with the Nats was one of the worst of his career.

Still, the Dodgers signed him to a one-year deal with a vesting option for 2015, but Haren went 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in four starts during the spring.

Haren is 5-4 with a 3.84 ERA in 16 career meetings with the Padres, all but one of those starts.

Getting the call for the Padres will be Tyson Ross, who begins his second season with the club.

The right-handed Ross spend his first three years as a member of the Oakland Athletics before getting dealt to San Diego in November of 2012. The Padres used him in both the rotation and bullpen a season ago, with the 26-year-old going a combined 3-8 but with a 3.17 ERA in 35 games (16 starts).

Ross is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four career meetings with the Dodgers, including two starts.

Los Angeles began the season by sweeping a two-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks in Australia on March 22, and then resumed its regular season by losing the opener of this series on Sunday.

However, the Dodgers bounced back with Tuesday's 3-2 victory, keyed by Yasiel Puig's two-run homer and five solid innings by Zack Greinke.

Puig had two hits and Juan Uribe went 3-for-4, while Greinke allowed two runs on two hits while striking out five.

Greinke nearly lost his victory when closer Kenley Jansen loaded the bases in the ninth inning, but he recovered to strike out Nick Hundley with a high fastball to secure his second save of the season.

"The good thing I did was I never lost my focus," Jansen said of the ninth. "I started to make my execution and got out of the inning."

Los Angeles' victory capped a day in which the club learned that ace Clayton Kershaw will miss at least a month with a back muscle injury while also placing reliever Brian Wilson on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow ailment.

Ian Kennedy was tagged for three runs on five hits in five innings for the Padres, while Seth Smith went deep for the second straight game in the setback.

Smith hit a pinch-hit homer to lead off a three-run eighth inning in Sunday's 3-1 victory.

"Anytime you do well regardless of what it is, it's fun," said Smith. "I'm just happy to be here and be able to contribute."

The Dodgers won 11 of the 19 matchups between these teams last season.