(Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Dodgers hope ace Brad Penny can put them back atop the National League West when the club wraps up its huge four-game series with the San Diego Padres tonight at Chavez Ravine.

The Dodgers owned a 1 1/2-game edge on San Diego for first place in the division after opening the set with a 3-1 win on Friday. However, the Padres rebounded to take the next two matchups and now hold a half-game advantage in the standings.

Los Angeles does lead the wild card race but is only one game in front of Philadelphia.

Terrmel Sledge was the hero for San Diego on Sunday, as his pinch-hit single in the top of the ninth inning lifted the Padres to a 2-1 win.

Josh Bard singled off Jonathan Broxton (3-1) in the ninth and was replaced by pinch-runner Khalil Greene. Geoff Blum then walked before Sledge singled to right field to drive in Greene.

Russell Branyan added a solo home run in the win, San Diego's fourth in five games, while Dave Roberts and Todd Walker each finished 2-for-4.

San Diego starter Chris Young allowed just one hit with five walks and four strikeouts in six innings, but Scott Linebrink (7-3) earned the win after a scoreless eighth.

Trevor Hoffman shut LA down in the ninth to get his 39th save of the season and 475th of his career, putting him three behind Lee Smith (478) for the all- time lead.

Russell Martin homered for the Dodgers's lone run. Derek Lowe allowed one run on seven hits with a season-high nine strikeouts in a seven-inning no decision.

Penny will try to get his club back on track tonight and become the NL's first 17-game winner in the process. The sturdy right-hander, who is tied with Arizona's Brandon Webb for the league lead in victories, is 3-1 over his last four starts and is coming off an outstanding performance Wednesday in Chicago.

Penny threw seven shutout innings, scattering seven hits without a walk, to defeat the Cubs.

The 2006 All-Star hasn't fared well against San Diego this season, however. In three starts versus the Padres this year, Penny is 0-2 with a 9.00 earned run average in 15 innings. He was rocked for six runs and seven hits in just four frames in a loss at Petco Park back on August 23.

In 12 career starts against San Diego, Penny is just 3-6 with a 5.94 ERA.

The Padres counter with Jake Peavy, who has come up big for the Padres during the stretch drive. The hard-throwing righty threw a gem Wednesday in Cincinnati, holding the Reds to three hits and no runs over six innings to lead his club to a 10-0 win.

In three September starts, Peavy is 2-1 with a 1.66 ERA. He began the month with an overpowering effort against Cincinnati on September 2, going the distance on a two-hitter and racking up 14 strikeouts in San Diego's 7-1 triumph.

Peavy has been trouble for the Dodgers over the course of his career, taking a 6-1 record and an outstanding 2.09 ERA in 12 career starts against LA into tonight's showdown. He has won both his outings versus the Dodgers this year, including one in Los Angeles on July 26 in which Peavy gave up just two runs and struck out eight in seven innings.

The Padres own a commanding 12-4 advantage over Los Angeles this season and have taken six of the seven games played in Dodger Stadium in 2006.