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Padres-Dodgers Preview

May 1, 2009 - 6:42 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

San Diego (11-11) at Los Angeles (15-8), 10:10 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers finally ended their long losing streak against Jake Peavy by beating him on opening day.

Peavy has a chance to gain a measure of revenge by handing the Dodgers their first home loss of the season Friday night when the San Diego Padres continue a four-game series against the NL West leaders.

Los Angeles (15-8) improved to 7-0 at home with an 8-5 win Thursday in the opener of a season-high 11-game homestand. It's the Dodgers' best start at home since 1947, when the Brooklyn Dodgers started out 8-0 at Ebbets Field in Jackie Robinson's rookie year.

For the streak to continue, the Dodgers will have to try to beat Peavy (2-3, 5.74 ERA), who is 13-2 with a 2.39 ERA against them. He had won 11 straight decisions with a 2.02 ERA over 17 starts versus Los Angeles before losing 4-1 on April 6, allowing four runs over seven innings.

"That's as good of a lineup that you'll face - a little bit of everything," Peavy said. "That's a team to be reckoned with."

Peavy is 6-1 with a 3.46 ERA in eight career outings at Dodger Stadium. The right-hander has won five straight decisions there and three straight starts.

It's not surprising that several Dodgers have poor career numbers versus Peavy, including Russell Martin (.138) and Andre Ethier (.156). Manny Ramirez is 1-for-6 against the Padres ace.

Orlando Hudson and Ramirez hit back-to-back homers in the third inning Thursday, and the Dodgers scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on an error to improve to 3-2 against the Padres this year. Ramirez went 2-for-3, and is 10-for-25 with eight runs scored at home in 2009.

San Diego (11-11) has lost eight of 10 overall and six of seven at Dodger Stadium. Adrian Gonzalez went 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, and is batting .383 with six homers and 12 RBIs during his run.

The Padres shuffled their lineup, moving Brian Giles from his normal No. 3 spot to the top of the order. Giles went 0-for-3 with two walks and saw his average fall to .163.

"It's sometimes subtlety moving a guy," manager Bud Black told the Padres' official Web site. "This is something that happens with other clubs."

Gonzalez and Giles have both been neutralized in the past by Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw (0-2, 7.29). Gonzalez is 2-for-10 with six strikeouts against Kershaw while Giles is 2-for-9 with four strikeouts.

Kershaw has been hit hard in last two outings, posting a 10.29 ERA while losing both of them. He gave up a career-high nine runs and eight hits over 4 2-3 innings Sunday in a 10-4 loss at Colorado.

"It's frustrating to give up runs like that, but there are no excuses for giving up hits," Kershaw said. "You fall behind and give up hits, it is not a mechanical thing, but just pitching poorly."

The 21-year-old left-hander gave up one run and two hits over five innings April 9 in a 4-3 loss at San Diego. Kershaw is 2-0 with a 3.52 ERA in four career starts against the Padres.