Dodgers-Diamondbacks Preview

The Arizona Diamondbacks have clinched another division title and are surging into their final series of the regular season, but Justin Upton's health is suddenly a concern.

With Upton day-to-day following a scare at the plate, the Diamondbacks look to win a season series from the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time in six years Monday night.

Arizona (93-66) has won the franchise's fifth division title, and later this week will seek its first postseason victory since sweeping Chicago in a 2007 divisional series.

The Diamondbacks should head in with confidence. They've won 20 of 22 at home and four in a row after beating San Francisco 5-2 on Sunday.

They also received a major scare when Upton was hit on the front of his helmet with a pitch from Tim Lincecum in the first inning. The All-Star right fielder fell to the ground, but remained in the game and scored before leaving after the inning for precautionary reasons.

"Our concerns are on the lower side, but we're going to watch him carefully and make sure he's fine," team physician Michael Lee told the team's official website. "Justin got hit on the bill of his helmet, thank goodness it was a glancing blow rather than a direct blow. Neurologically, he looked great on the field according to the trainers, no loss of consciousness, had no loss of memory."

Tests on Upton were negative, and he's day-to-day. He leads Arizona with career highs of 31 homers, 88 RBIs and 105 runs.

The Diamondbacks have won both of their games without Upton this season, and may need to do it again to move closer to home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They're one game behind Central-winning Milwaukee, which hosts Pittsburgh for three.

Arizona, which won the season series with the Brewers 4-3, has the tiebreaker.

"Our intentions are to win out," manager Kirk Gibson said. "We may. We may not. But wherever we have to go on Saturday, that's fine. It's good times. It's fun."

Arizona is 9-6 against the Dodgers (80-78), and one more win will clinch the season series for the first time since 2005.

Daniel Hudson (16-11, 3.43 ERA) takes the mound looking to beat Los Angeles for a third time at Chase Field. The right-hander has won the last two meetings with a 1.53 ERA, and tossed a five hitter in a 4-1 win in Phoenix on July 17.

Hudson could have used some help in the latest matchup in Los Angeles on Sept. 14, allowing two runs in seven innings while being backed by one run in a 3-2 loss.

He followed that Tuesday by yielding three runs over five innings in a 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh.

Matt Kemp, meanwhile, is bidding for baseball's first Triple Crown since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. St. Louis' Ducky Medwick was the last NL player to do it in 1937.

Kemp's 37 homers are tied for the league lead, while his 120 RBIs give him sole possession of the top spot. His .324 average, though, ranks third behind Milwaukee's Ryan Braun (.333) and New York's Jose Reyes (.331).

"For me to do that would be great," said Kemp, who went 1 for 5 in Sunday's 6-2 win over San Diego. "I still have three more games to go."

Dana Eveland (2-2, 3.75) gets the ball for the Dodgers after losing consecutive starts while allowing nine runs in nine innings.

The left-hander is facing Arizona for the first time since lasting a career-low 1 1-3 innings while surrendering eight runs in an 8-5 loss with Toronto on May 22, 2010.