-
Jun 15, 2006 1:32 am US/Pacific
-
Digg |
Facebook |
E-mail
|
Print
Padres Win 5 Straight Over Dodgers
SAN DIEGO (AP) ―
Brian Giles scored the go-ahead run from first base on Adrian Gonzalez's double into the left-field corner in the eighth inning and the San Diego Padres won their fifth straight game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-3 on Wednesday night.
By winning the first two of this three-game series, the defending NL West champion Padres pulled within one game of Los Angeles and Arizona, which are tied for the division lead. Overall, the Padres have won just four times in their last nine games.
With the score tied at 3, Giles drew a four-pitch walk off reliever Hong-Chih Kuo (0-4) leading off the eighth. With one out, Gonzalez hit a 2-2 pitch the opposite way to bring in Giles. Shortstop Rafael Furcal's relay throw was up the first-base line for an error, allowing Gonzalez to take third. Pinch-hitter Josh Bard greeted reliever Danys Baez with a single to left that scored Gonzalez.
Matt Kemp, pinch hitting for Dodgers reliever Jonathan Broxton, hit a towering homer to straightaway center field, estimated at 433 feet, to tie it at 3 leading off the eighth. Kemp's seventh homer came on the second pitch from reliever Scott Linebrink (3-2).
That got Brad Penny off the hook for what would have been his first loss since May 1.
Trevor Hoffman pitched the ninth for his 15th save in 16 chances.
Mark Bellhorn hit a two-run homer for the Padres.
Willy Aybar hit a two-run homer off Padres rookie Mike Thompson with one out in the second to put Los Angeles in front. It was Aybar's third drive of the season.
The Padres jumped ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the inning, when the first three batters reached and scored.
Gonzalez hit a leadoff double to left-center, followed by Bellhorn's homer into the seats in left-center, his fifth. Bellhorn was starting at third base for Vinny Castilla. Khalil Greene walked and, with two outs, stole second, then scored on Dave Roberts' single up the middle.
San Diego had runners on first and second with no outs in the sixth, and stranded both.
Penny allowed three runs and five hits in six innings, struck out five and walked one.
Thompson went seven, allowing two runs and three hits, with three strikeouts and two walks.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)