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Los Angeles Dodgers can wrap up the National League West division even before taking the field tonight in the finale of a three- game series versus the
San Diego Padres at Chavez Ravine.
If the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are four games behind LA in the division standings, lose this afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers will earn their first division crown since the 2004 season. Los Angeles has already clinched a share of the NL West title.
The Dodgers have won two straight and three of their last four games, including Wednesday's 12-4 pummeling of the Friars. Manny Ramirez clubbed a two-run homer and Nomar Garciaparra also went deep and finished with two RBI for Los Angeles, which trimmed its magic number down to one. Matt Kemp had three hits and two RBI while James Loney and Angel Berroa each knocked in a pair of run in a winning effort.
Starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw recorded the victory with 5 2/3 innings of work, allowing three runs and six hits with seven K's for his third straight winning decision. Kershaw helped the Dodgers improve to a major league-best 16-5 in September.
Future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux will take the ball for Joe Torre's ballclub on Thursday and he is just 1-4 with a 5.71 earned run average in six starts with Los Angeles. Maddux, who is 7-13 with a 4.31 ERA with San Diego and LA this season, is 0-2 in his previous three starts. Maddux last pitched on Friday versus the San Francisco Giants and suffered the loss in the 7-1 setback, allowing seven runs and nine hits in five frames.
The right-hander recently faced San Diego on September 8 at Petco Park and was roughed up for four runs in six innings of his team's 4-0 loss. Maddux beat the Padres seven days earlier in a 5-2 victory with 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball. He is 25-16 with nine complete games and a 3.06 ERA in 46 lifetime meetings with San Diego.
San Diego will try to avoid the sweep on Thursday after entering this series on a three-game winning streak. In Wednesday's loss at Dodger Stadium, Brian Giles, Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Headley and Nick Hundley each knocked in a run in defeat. Starter Shawn Estes gave up six hits and two runs in 3 2/3 innings for the no-decision. Michael Ekstrom suffered the loss for yielding two runs in just two-thirds of an inning. Clay Hensley and Dirk Hayhurst both permitted three runs in relief.
Taking the ball tonight for the Padres will be ace Jake Peavy, who missed his scheduled start on Friday to be with his wife for the birth of their son. Peavy has dropped back-to-back starts and is 0-3 in his past five outings, having lost his last trip to the hill on September 12 versus San Francisco.
Peavy was reached for five runs and 11 hits through eight innings of a 5-2 loss to the Giants, and fell to 9-11 in 26 starts this season. The righty has enjoyed success throughout his career against the division-rival Dodgers and is 12-1 with a 2.21 ERA in 21 lifetime matchups. Peavy, whose last loss to LA was during the 2003 campaign, is 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA versus the Dodgers in 2008. He beat them on June 12 with six innings of three-hit ball in a 9-0 win.
Los Angeles has won 11 of the 17 matchups with San Diego this season, with a 6-2 record at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers have won four straight and seven of the eight most recent matchups in this series.
