Dodgers at Padres
The Los Angeles Dodgers have not been able to slow down the San Diego Padres. The Padres will be looking to clinch the four-game series when they host Zack Greinke and the Dodgers on Saturday. While San Diego has surged toward the top of the National League West, Los Angeles is stuck at the bottom, having dropped nine of its last 12 to fall well off the pace.
Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig and Hanley Ramirez both are riding hot streaks, but it has not been enough to lift an offense averaging 2.8 runs in the last three games. The Padres are fighting off injuries at several positions and lost another on Friday, when starter Clayton Richard lasted only two pitches before being removed with a problem in his AC joint. San Diego still rallied for a 5-2 victory and has taken nine of its last 11.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Zack Greinke (3-2, 4.22 ERA) vs. Padres RH Edinson Volquez (5-5, 5.84)
Greinke, who broke his collarbone while being charged by San Diego's Carlos Quentin on April 11 and missed a month, will be facing the Padres for the first time since that benches-clearing incident. The right-hander has been inconsistent since his return from the DL and is coming off a loss at Pittsburgh in which he was reached for five runs on eight hits in five innings. Greinke had surrendered two runs in five frames at San Diego before running into Quentin last time.
Volquez has settled down since blowing up for nine runs in 2 1/3 innings at Colorado on June 7. In his last two starts, the veteran right-hander has yielded a total of four runs in 12 frames. Volquez missed the Dodgers in each of the three previous 2013 series but owns a 2-2 record with a 3.97 ERA in six career starts against them.
WALK-OFFS
1. Los Angeles CF Matt Kemp (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday.
2. San Diego has won eight straight home games.
3. Ramirez is 9-for-13 with five RBIs and four runs scored in the last four games.