Los Angeles @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 10, 2011 ) San Diego 1, LA Dodgers 4

THE STORY: Last place in the National League West will be on the line when the Los Angeles Dodgers open up a three-game series at San Diego on Monday. The Padres, who trail the Dodgers by two games at the bottom of the division, are coming off an 8-3 comeback victory against Colorado on Sunday. Los Angeles, meanwhile, finished the weekend with back-to-back home defeats against Arizona.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, PRIME (Los Angeles); Channel 4 and Uniradio TV 47 (San Diego)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (12-4, 2.72 ERA) vs. Padres LH Cory Luebke (3-5, 2.92 ERA).

Kershaw, the National League leader in strikeouts (173), has thrust himself into the thick of the Cy Young race by winning six of his last seven starts and allowing just two earned runs over his last 29 2/3 innings. In 10 career starts against San Diego, Kershaw is just 4-3 but with a solid 2.55 ERA. Padres hitters are just 21-for-93 (.226) against Kershaw – and their biggest threat, 1B Brad Hawpe (4-for-13, 2 HR), is on the disabled list.

Since being tossed into the rotation in late June, Luebke is 2-3 with a 2.57 ERA, 36 strikeouts and seven walks in six starts – but he struggled in his last trip to the mound, giving up four runs on three homers in a July 27 loss to Arizona. He won his lone career start (and second appearance) against the Dodgers, who have managed just one unearned run against Luebke in 10 innings. Current Los Angeles hitters are a combined 2-for-19 against Luebke.

ABOUT THE DODGERS (48-59): Los Angeles has been unable to put it together despite an MVP-quality campaign from CF Matt Kemp, who leads the team with a .317 average, 26 home runs and 82 RBIs, and a Cy Young-caliber effort from Kershaw. Even with Kemp's brilliant season as well as a strong effort from RF Andre Ethier (.305), the Dodgers rank among the league's most stagnant offenses with just 393 runs. Another major problem has been a bullpen that has allowed more ninth-inning runs (59) than any team in baseball.

ABOUT THE PADRES (47-62): San Diego ranks at or near the bottom of the major leagues in most offensive categories, but even without top power threat Ryan Ludwick (11 HR, 64 RBIs) – who was traded just before Sunday's trade deadline – the Padres' anemic lineup showed some punch in the late innings, rallying for six runs in the eighth against Colorado. The Padres were among the most active sellers over the weekend, also dumping reliever Mike Adams, but they held on to closer Heath Bell, one of the most coveted players rumored to be on the market.

FINAL PITCH: The Padres and Dodgers both rank among the stingiest teams in the majors, sitting fourth and fifth, respectively, in ERA entering Monday's game.