Padres Preview: 05/01 Pomeranz seeks sweep and first career win against Dodgers

The Padres have already clinched the series against the Dodgers, and this afternoon they'll get the chance to complete their first sweep of the season and hand their NL West rivals their seventh straight loss.

Drew Pomeranz has been mostly solid this season for San Diego, though he has struggled with pitch efficiency. The southpaw has thrown over 100 pitches in three of his four starts this year, despite reaching the sixth inning only twice. He's coming off his worst performance of the season, which took him 101 pitches to get through only 4 1/3 innings. He also allowed a season-high four runs (three earned) on seven hits. Where Pomeranz has excelled in all of his starts, however, is with the strikeout. Through his four outings, he's collected 31 strikeouts - that's a 12.7 K/9 rate.

Pomeranz didn't pitch in the Opening Series against the Dodgers this season, so this will be his first time up against them in 2016. But career-wise, he has faced Los Angeles six times (four times as a starter), though he has yet to notch a win against them. In those six tries, he is 0-3 with a 5.49 ERA.

As for today's Dodgers starter, Clayton Kershaw, his past success against the Padres is well-known. The left-hander is a career 13-6 with a 2.16 ERA in 28 appearances - all starts 0 against San Diego. That includes his 7-inning shutout performance against them on Opening Day this year. He threw 96 pitches and allowed only one hit and one walk while striking out nine batters.

Kershaw comes into today's matchup with a 2-1 record and 2.43 ERA through five starts. But his most recent was his worst of the year. Though he made it through seven complete innings of work and collected ten strikeouts to already tie a season-high, he also allowed a season-high five runs (all earned) against the Marlins for his first loss of the year.

Game time: 1:10 pm PT
Radio: The Mighty 1090, La Poderosa 860 (Sp.)
TV: FSSD, Fox Deportes San Diego (Sp.)