The Los Angeles Dodgers send Clayton Kershaw to the mound to face Eric Stults and the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night. L.A. is looking for its fourth-straight win as it attempts to pass the St. Louis Cardinals for the final spot in the National League Wild Card race.
Kershaw is 12-8 with a 2.85 ERA on the season. He went six innings and gave up two runs on nine hits while striking out nine against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kershaw has a good shot at the 2012 N.L. strikeout title, as he is just three behind Stephen Strasburg for the league lead.
Stults has appeared in 15 games for the Padres this season, with 10 starts. He has went 5-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 69.2 innings pitched. Stults pitched well in his last outing, going six shutout innings to beat the Atlanta Braves.
The Dodgers open Tuesday just 0.5 games back of the Cardinals for the second Wild Card berth and 4.5 games back of the San Francisco Giants for the N.L. West lead.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. PT.
For more on the Dodgers, check out True Blue LA and stick with SB Nation Los Angeles. For the Padres, head to Gaslamp Ball.
