MLB Game Preview - San Diego at LA Dodgers

Thu Aug 1, 2019 10:10 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers own the best home record in the majors, but the San Diego Padres aren't afraid.

The Padres won three straight games in Los Angeles from July 5-7 and will look to add to that success when they open a four-game set at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night.

The Dodgers have lost their past two home games -- to the Los Angeles Angels on July 23-24 -- but are still an impressive 40-14 as they open a 10-game homestand.

Los Angeles' home success has helped the team run away with the National League West as well as hold the best overall record in the majors (71-39).

Clayton Kershaw (9-2, 2.85 ERA) will be on the mound in the series opener, and his first quest is silencing former teammate Manny Machado.

Machado, who finished last season in Los Angeles and signed with the Padres in the offseason, has smacked four homers against the Dodgers this season. Two of them have come off Kershaw, against whom he is 4-for-9.

The 31-year-old Kershaw is 1-0 with a 3.15 ERA in three starts versus the Padres this season. Overall, he is 19-6 with a 2.00 ERA in 37 career outings against San Diego.

While he has struggled with Machado and Eric Hosmer (9-for-24, one homer), Kershaw has regularly mowed down Wil Myers (3-for-35, 13 strikeouts), Hunter Renfroe (2-for-19) and Austin Hedges (1-for-16).

The Dodgers did some fine-tuning prior to Wednesday's trade deadline but were unable to land the top-flight bullpen help they were seeking.

Los Angeles landed left-hander Adam Kolarek from the Tampa Bay Rays and infielder Jedd Gyorko from the St. Louis Cardinals. Gyorko has missed close to two months with a wrist injury, but Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts feels he was a much-needed acquisition.

"We've got to get him to health, but he's a heck of a baseball player and a good right-handed bat," Roberts told reporters of Gyorko after Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. "Now that this (deadline) has passed, we can focus on how we can deploy our guys and roles. The expectations, the goal hasn't changed, to win a championship."

The Dodgers continue to get a boost from rookie catcher Will Smith, who snapped a scoreless tie in the ninth with a three-run homer in Wednesday's triumph. Smith is batting .333 with five homers, four doubles and 15 RBIs in 13 games.

"Everyone here believes in everyone in this clubhouse," Smith said afterward. "Best team in baseball for a reason."

San Diego acquired coveted Cincinnati Reds outfield prospect Taylor Trammell on Tuesday in a three-team trade in which it sent major leaguers Franmil Reyes and Logan Allen -- the latter a left-handed pitcher -- to the Cleveland Indians.

Reyes was second on the Padres with 27 homers and a big-time fan favorite, but he sometimes experienced troubles in right field. General manager A.J. Preller was willing to part ways with him to get Trammell, who could someday inject speed near the top off the San Diego order.

"Those things are definitely going to be tough to replace and things that we're going to miss with Franmil," Preller told reporters. "Ultimately you would love to keep everybody. But if you're going to get something back that you need, you've got to give something."

Preller's past deadline deals include two major thefts during the 2016 season. That is when he landing now-standout rookie shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. as part of the package for fading starter James Shields, and obtained now-impressive rookie right-hander Chris Paddack from the Miami Marlins for aging reliever Fernando Rodney.

Tatis has smacked 11 of his 19 homers in the past 29 games, but the Padres are fading from the NL wild-card chase with 12 setbacks in their 17 games since the All-Star break.

"I'm just happy," the 20-year-old Tatis told reporters of his success. "I think I'm blessed for it. I've just got to keep working even harder now,"

Left-hander Joey Lucchesi (7-5, 4.12) will be on the mound for San Diego. He is 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA in two 2019 starts against Los Angeles. He lost all three of last season's outings against the Dodgers and has a 6.75 ERA in five career turns.

--Field Level Media