Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres Pick Center

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This won't be your typical Dodgers-Padres series It has been a long time since a series has stirred as much interest in Padres fans as this weekend's three-game set against the Dodgers at Petco Park in San Diego.Maybe you have to go back to 2015 when the Padres opened the season with what turned out to be false expectations ... or 2013 when the Yankees visited Petco Park ... or 2010, the last time the Padres finished a season with a winning record.But the expectations are high in San Diego as the Padres play the two-time reigning National League champion and division rival Dodgers for the first time this season with the teams separated by only 1 1/2 games in the standings. And that's with 20-year-old rookie sensation shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. on the injured list with a strained left hamstring.The Padres flew home from Atlanta on Wednesday evening after posting seasons highs in hits (17) and runs (11) in an 11-2 win that earned them a four-game split with the Braves and a 4-3 road trip.The Padres are 11-6 on the road this season though only 7-8 at home.This would be a good weekend for the Padres to reverse that trend as all three games in the series are already sold out. Unlike previous seasons, the majority of those in the house are expected to be Padres' fans. The Padres' three-game record for attendance at Petco Park is 133,311 for the 2007 series against the Red Sox.The series starts Friday night with a match of left-handers -- the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw (1-0, 2.25 ERA) against the Padres' Eric Lauer (2-3, 4.41 ERA).The 31-year-old Kershaw has dominated the Padres during his career, particularly at Petco Park.Overall, Kershaw has an 18-6 record against the Padres with a 1.90 ERA, a 0.975 WHIP and a .188 opponents' batting average in 34 career starts. He also has struck out 236 Padres in 222 2/3 innings. As for his numbers at Petco Park, Kershaw is 8-2 with a 1.61 ERA, a 0.881 WHIP and a .168 OBA with 95 strikeouts in 89 2/3 innings over 14 starts.Kershaw missed his first three starts of the 2019 season with a shoulder issue that landed him on the injured list on Opening Day. He returned on April 15 and has given up five runs on 11 hits and four walks with 21 strikeouts in 20 innings. His last outing against the Pirates was his best, giving up one run on four hits and no walks with eight strikeouts over seven innings and 101 pitches.Lauer, meanwhile, was 3-0 with a 0.92 ERA, a 1.107 WHIP and a .203 OBA in three starts against the Dodgers as a rookie last season. One of San Diego's three first-round picks in the 2016 draft, Lauer surrendered only two hits over 5 2/3 innings in his most recent start, an 8-3 win over Washington on Saturday in which Lauer received a no-decision."Eric's pitch mix will change, team to team, game to game," Padres manager Andy Green told reporters recently of the developing Lauer. "In Eric's case, he's throwing the ball well this year. He hasn't come out on the right side of a lot of games. Overall, Eric has been very solid for us."I see him attacking better when guys aren't on base. Sometimes last year he waited to ramp up until he got into leverage situations. He's done a better job of having some smoother innings by getting after guys earlier. I think he's been very similar to what we saw last year with just a little bit better pinpoint command at times. The life on the heater always plays for him." --Field Level Media

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