Back the Padres at home against Los Angeles.

While San Diego continues to play inspired baseball down the homestretch of the season, the exact opposite holds true for the Dodgers. After losing three of four in Pittsburgh over the weekend – to a Pirates team that had previously lost 23 of its last 26 games! – Los Angeles arrived in San Diego last night and managed just one run against a pitcher making his major-league debut and lost 3-1. That makes the Dodgers 2-5 in their last seven games against three opponents – Padres, Pirates and Nationals – that are combined about a billion games under .500.

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As for San Diego, it is 7-3 in its last 10 games and 21-11 in its last 32, and that includes winning series against playoff contenders Atlanta, Florida, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Colorado (twice). Tonight, the Padres are going with left-hander Clayton Richard, who was acquired from the White Sox in the Jake Peavy trade. San Diego is 8-3 in Richard’s 11 starts with San Diego, including 3-0 in his last three outings overall and 5-0 in his five starts at home, where Richard has a 2.48 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.

The Dodgers will counter Richard with Jon Garland, who has produced six straight quality starts, including the last five since being traded from Arizona to L.A. However, the Dodgers are just 3-2 when Garland pitches, with both losses coming in his two road starts against terrible teams (the DBacks and Pirates). Also, the last time Garland pitched at Petco Park – on June 8 with Arizona – he got rocked for six runs in 6 2/3 innings, losing 6-3.

Bottom line: There is no love lost between these two regional rivals, so you know the Padres will do everything within their power to keep the Dodgers – whose magic number to clinch the N.L. West is down to one – from celebrating in their house. They kept the champagne on ice yesterday despite having a pitcher on the mound making his big-league debut, and they’ll do it again tonight as they improve to 6-0 at home behind Richard and cash a nice underdog ticket.

4♦ SAN DIEGO

(based on a 1♦ to a 10♦ Rating)

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