San Diego @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 29, 2011 ) San Diego 1, LA Dodgers 4

THE STORY: The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their first winning month of the season with Monday's 4-1 victory over the San Diego Padres. Los Angeles, which is 15-11 in August, tries for its seventh win in eight games against San Diego when the clubs meet Tuesday in the middle contest of their three-game series. The Dodgers have won six of their last seven overall, scoring a total of 47 runs during that span. Conversely, the Padres have crossed the plate just four times during their five-game losing streak.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, Channel 4 (San Diego), KCAL (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Tim Stauffer (8-10, 3.42 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Hiroki Kuroda (10-14, 2.92 ERA).

Stauffer allowed only two runs over six innings at San Francisco on Wednesday but suffered the loss. The 29-year old has had trouble keeping the ball in the park this season, allowing 18 home runs in 27 starts - including 10 over his last four outings - after surrendering only three in 32 starts last year. Stauffer is 1-1 with a 1.89 ERA in three meetings with Los Angeles this season.

Kuroda has won three straight starts and has yielded three earned runs or less in each of his last eight. He gave up three runs over seven innings en route to a victory at St. Louis on Wednesday. Kuroda has been dominant against San Diego this season, going 2-0 in three outings while allowing two runs over 22 2/3 frames.

ABOUT THE DODGERS (63-70): Clayton Kershaw continued to strengthen his case for the NL Cy Young Award on Monday. Kershaw tossed his fifth complete game of the season en route to his ninth win in 10 overall starts and ninth consecutive home victory. It also was Kershaw's 17th win, tying him with Arizona's Ian Kennedy for the NL lead. James Loney's homer Monday was his third in four games. The two-run blast extended Loney's RBI streak to six contests. After sitting out Sunday's game with a controversial knee injury, Andre Ethier collected three hits and an RBI. It was his first multi-hit effort since posting four in a row from Aug. 5-8.

ABOUT THE PADRES (60-75): Nick Hundley continued his torrid pace by going 2-for-4 on Monday. Hundley is hitting .420 in 14 games since returning from the disabled list. Cameron Maybin missed his third straight game with a sore right wrist and returned to San Diego to undergo an MRI. Orlando Hudson, who went 1-for-4 in the series opener, has a .309 career average against the Dodgers and a .299 mark at Dodger Stadium.

FINAL PITCH: Kershaw is three victories away from becoming the first Dodger since Ramon Martinez to record 20 in a season. Martinez went 20-6 for Los Angeles in 1990.