(My Sportsbook) - The Arizona Diamondbacks are tied atop the National League West standings and will try to gain some ground against the inferior San Diego Padres tonight in the opener of a three-game series at Chase Field.

Arizona, though, can not look past the Padres or its chances of capturing a division title will take a big blow. The D'Backs are currently knotted with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the West lead and had a three-game winning streak halted in the finale of a three-game series against the Houston Astros on Sunday at Minute Maid Park.

Stephen Drew recorded the only two hits for the D'Backs and starter Randy Johnson absorbed the loss, allowing three runs and eight hits in seven innings of a 3-0 setback. The future Hall-of-Famer, who remains stuck at 294 career victories, lost for just the second time in his last eight outings

The Diamondbacks will open a six-game homestand on Tuesday, and are 33-26 as the host this season. They will send Doug Davis to the mound this evening and he is 4-7 with a 4.79 earned run average in 18 starts this season. Davis is winless over his previous three outings (0-2) and did not factor in the outcome of a 6-5 loss at Colorado on August 13.

Davis was reached for four runs, three earned, and six hits through five innings of work. The lefty, who is 2-4 in nine home starts this season, will try to best the Padres again on Tuesday. Davis faced San Diego on July 29 and earned the victory with 7 2/3 shutout innings of two-hit ball in his team's 3-0 triumph. He is 7-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 13 career games (12 starts) against the Padres.

San Diego has dropped two of three and four of its last six games, including Sunday night's 2-1 setback to the Philadelphia Phillies in the finale of a three-game set at Petco Park. Chase Headley had the only RBI for the Friars, who got a solid outing from starter Cha Seung Baek. Baek gave up just two runs -- one earned -- on four hits over six innings of work, but dropped his second straight start.

The Padres will open a six-game road trip with this test and are 21-38 away from home this season. Josh Banks will try to lead them to victory tonight when he toes the rubber for San Diego. Banks is 1-5 with a 5.58 ERA in his last 12 games, 11 of which have been starts, and previously pitched on August 13 versus Milwaukee. He was rocked for seven runs and five hits through 4 1/3 innings of a 7-1 defeat.

The right-hander lost to Arizona on July 6 in the desert, surrendering three runs and seven hits in six innings of a 3-2 loss. It was Banks' first-ever appearances against the D'Backs.

In transaction news for San Diego, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday night that the Dodgers have acquired four-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux from San Diego, though it is not yet known who the Padres will receive in return.

Arizona leads the 2008 season series with San Diego by a 7-5 count, while both clubs have split six meetings so far at Chase Field.