Sat Apr 12 11:40:34 2008

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Padres attempt to continue Dodgers' slide

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(Sports Network) - Chris Young and Derek Lowe will face each other for a second straight start tonight, as Young's San Diego Padres continue a three- game series with Los Angeles tonight at Dodger Stadium.

After getting a win over the Astros on April 1 behind 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball, the 6-foot-10 Young got a no decision on Sunday against Los Angeles. The right-hander was solid with eight strikeouts over seven innings that saw him limit the Dodgers to two runs and five hits, and left with the game tied 2-2.

However, the Dodgers won it with a run in the ninth off of Padres closer Trevor Hoffman.

The 28-year-old Young is 1-2 with a 2.92 earned run average in nine career starts against the Dodgers, including a 1-1 mark in three starts versus them last year.

Lowe got his second no decision of the season in as many starts on Sunday against Young and the Padres. Lowe gave up two runs -- one earned -- on five hits with six strikeouts over six innings, just five days after getting a no decision versus the Giants despite six frames of two-run ball.

Lowe has made 13 career starts against the Padres and is 3-3 against them with a shutout and 2.98 ERA. The 34-year-old was 1-1 in three starts last year versus San Diego.

The Padres drew first blood in this series on Friday, as Tadahito Iguchi went 2-for-5 with two runs driven in and one scored in a 7-5 victory.

Kevin Kouzmanoff went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored and Josh Bard added two hits, one run scored and an RBI for the Padres, who had dropped three of four coming into the game. San Diego pounded out 16 hits and is batting a major-league best .295 on the season.

Jake Peavy (3-0) gave up just three runs on nine hits in six innings of work to grab the win, while Hoffman worked out of trouble in the ninth before picking up his third save of a season. The veteran closer allowed a run, two hits and two walks before striking out Jeff Kent with the bases loaded to end the game.

James Loney hit a solo home run while Rafael Furcal went 3-for-3 with three runs scored for the Dodgers, who have dropped their last four games. Brad Penny (1-2) got the loss after he was charged with four runs on 10 hits in six innings of work.

Juan Pierre had three hits and two RBI for Los Angeles, while Andre Ethier drove in a pair of runs as well. However, Andruw Jones went 0-for-4 to drop his average to a miserable .114. In his first season with the Dodgers, Jones has just four hits in 35 at-bats this year, and just one hit over his last six games.

Los Angeles took two of three from the Padres earlier in the year, but San Diego is 25-15 in the series since the start of the 2006 season, including a 12-7 mark at Chavez Ravine in that time.