Playoff atmosphere baseball came to Petco Park on Wednesday night. In front of a loud and enthusiastic crowd of 40,188, the San Diego Padres rallied from an early 1-0 deficit to beat the LA Dodgers 6-1, evening their midweek showdown series at a game apiece.
San Diego relied, as usual, on pitching, a handful of timely hits and impeccable baserunning to eke out another comeback win at home. In doing so, they beat the Dodgers in San Diego for the first time in 2010, knocking LA six games off the NL West pace.
Jerry Hairston Jr. continued his improbable clutch hitting from the leadoff spot with a pair of two out RBI hits, driving in three runs.
Clayton Richard (8-5) bounced back from a series of shaky outings to hold the Dodgers to one run over six innings, and the “PEN-itentiary” closed things out with three perfect innings of relief. The Padres retired the final 19 LA batters in order to close out the game.
After being baffled for five innings by Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda (8-9), the Padres scrapped together a two-run sixth in traditional 2010 fashion: a couple of bloopers and speed to burn.
Tony Gwynn ignited the action, leading off with a pinch-hit chop infield single to shortstop. Gwynn then stole second base with one away. The Padres are 38-8 when stealing a base this season, and Kuroda seemed to be distracted by the action on the basepaths, walking Chris Denorfia.
Adrian Gonzalez followed with a little blooper to center field, which dropped in front of a hard-charging Matt Kemp. Gwynn read the ball perfectly and broke on contact, easily scoring to tie the game. The RBI single broke a string of 30 consecutive scoreless innings for the Dodgers pitching staff at Petco Park.
Video: Tony Gwynn postgame interview:
Chase Headley then drew a walk, loading the bases for Nick Hundley, who drove in his 31st run of the year with a sacrifice fly to right field, putting San Diego ahead to stay.
Clayton Richard retired the final 10 Dodgers he faced on route to his 8th win of the year
The rally made a winner out of Richard, who regained his first half form in perhaps the biggest start of his young career, retiring the final ten Dodgers he faced in order. Richard finished with six innings of work, allowing four hits and one run, striking out six while walking just one.
It was a rebound effort for the lefty, who had struggled to a 7.13 ERA in four previous July starts.
Video: Clayton Richard postgame interview:
San Diego put the game out of reach in the seventh inning against the beleaguered Dodgers’ middle relief corps. Scott Hairston knocked Kuroda out of the game with an infield single and was bunted to second base. With two outs, Jeff Weaver came in for George Sherrill from the LA bullpen wielding a gas can and match. Jerry Hairston Jr. slammed an RBI double off the left-field wall to make it 3-1, then scored on Chris Denorfia’s RBI single to left for a three-run lead.
San Diego struck again in the 8th, scoring a pair of two-out runs against reliever Travis Schlichting. Again, it was Hairston Jr. with the heroics, flaring a single over Blake DeWitt’s head at second base to score pinch hitter Matt Stairs and Scott Hairston.
The Dodgers scored the game’s opening run in the top of the 3rd, as Jamey Carroll’s two-out single scored Blake DeWitt from second base. It was the last hit the Dodgers would fashion against Richard, or anyone else for that matter.
The Padres maintained their 2 1/2 game lead over San Francisco in the NL West, with LA now six back, and Colorado buried 9 games off the pace.
NOTES: Prior to the game, Padres’ GM Jed Hoyer announced season-ending “Tommy John” elbow surgery for outfielder Kyle Blanks, who has been on the disabled list since May 18th…Blanks is expected to be out of action until the middle of 2011…the Dodgers traded for Royals’ outfielder Scott Podsednik prior to the game for a pair of minor league prospects…Podsednik is expected to join the team in time for Thursday afternoon’s series finale…the Padres and Dodgers wrap up their series at 3:35pm, a “Throwback Thursday” game, with the Padres wearing their 1978 uniforms…Mat Latos will face LA for the first time this year, opposing Vicente Padilla.
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