Padres-Dodgers Preview

The Los Angeles Dodgers last dropped seven straight home games in 1993.

Never in the storied history of this franchise, has it gone winless on a homestand of at least five games.

The reeling Dodgers hope Clayton Kershaw can help prevent both from happening Sunday when he tries to continue his recent dominance of the San Diego Padres.

Whether it's the 11 runs scored on this home stretch or the 15 allowed in the last three, Los Angeles (12-13) certainly has its issues while sitting one historic defeat away from going without a victory on this seven-game stay at Chavez Ravine.

''These are our guys, and I believe in them. I know they're going to come out of it,'' manager Dave Roberts said. "They're still confident and they're trying their tails off, so you've got to stick with them.''

The Dodgers certainly won't panic since they're tied for first in the weak NL West.

"I think if you had asked any one of us before the season started if we'd be happy in first place with record notwithstanding, I think we'd all sign up for that," Roberts told MLB's official website.

Still, the Dodgers hardly resemble the club that outscored San Diego 25-0 in the first three games of the season. They've batted .175, recorded 33 hits and gone 2 for 36 with runners in scoring position on a homestand.

"It's going to turn," Roberts said. "I'm not going to put too much weight into six days of not hitting."

Los Angeles should feel confident knowing Kershaw (2-1, 2.43 ERA) will likely keep things close while trying to rebound from his first defeat. The left-hander allowed five earned runs in his first four starts, but matched that total in the sixth of seven innings he lasted in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to Miami.

The big blow was a three-run homer from Giancarlo Stanton.

''That's a tough one to let get away,'' Kershaw said. ''We had a 3-0 lead and my job is to keep it and I didn't do my job.

"Got to do a better job limiting the damage."

He's allowed only seven earned runs, 25 hits and struck out 75 with 13 walks in 55 1/3 innings while going 5-0 in his last eight starts against the Padres (9-15) - all Los Angeles victories. He yielded one hit and fanned nine in seven innings of a 15-0 rout at San Diego on April 4.

Matt Kemp is 2 for 8 with four strikeouts against his former Dodgers teammate, but 11 for 30 in seven games. He has six RBIs in the last three.

Wil Myers is 0 for 11 with six strikeouts against Kershaw, but batting .370 with 10 RBIs in the last 13 contests.

San Diego, which dropped five in a row prior to this set, last swept a series at Dodger Stadium in 2013.

Drew Pomeranz (2-2, 2.86) has looked fairly solid to begin his San Diego tenure, but lasted 4 1/3 innings while giving up four runs, seven hits and three walks in a 5-4 loss at San Francisco on Monday.

"I wasn't going after them like I had been the past few games,'' said Pomeranz, who has struck out 31 in 22 innings. ''I got into a lot of bad counts and that drove my pitch count up.''

The left-hander faced the Dodgers in relief twice last season with Oakland, but last started against them in 2013.

Adrian Gonzalez is 3 for 7 with a double against Pomeranz, but 0 for 17 with four walks and seven strikeouts on the homestand. He was 10 for 23 with two homers and seven RBIs on Los Angeles' 4-2 trip that preceded the stay.