Padres 4 - 1 Dodgers
Final
  for this game

Padres down Dodgers to even series

Aug 21, 2014 - 6:11 AM Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Eric Stults pitched five effective innings against his former club and took care of business at the plate, as the San Diego Padres held off the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-1, in the second installment of a three-game series.

The Padres scored three runs in the second inning to give Stults a lead, and the southpaw combined with three relievers to make it hold up.

Consecutive walks with one out in the frame loaded the bases for Alexi Amarista, who singled in the game's first run. Stults then stepped in and lined a single to left. Jake Goebbert scored easily and Rymer Liriano came around on Scott Van Slyke's error out in left field.

Stults (6-13) allowed a run on four hits while striking out five to improve to 3-0 in four starts this month.

"I'm executing pitches better," said Stults. "I've picked up the tempo a little bit. We got some runs early and made them hold up."

Blaine Boyer faced the minimum in two innings of relief, Dale Thayer worked the eighth and Kevin Quackenbush nailed down his first career save for a scoreless ninth.

"It's an awesome feeling on getting that first save," said Quackenbush. "I thought I might get a chance when Huston Street left. I was a little nervous but got through it."

Roberto Hernandez (7-9) went five innings as well in his home debut for the Dodgers, absorbing the loss after allowing all four runs -- three earned -- on eight hits. Hernandez was acquired from Philadelphia earlier this month and made a pair of road starts with his new team.

"Roberto took a lot of pitches to get through his innings, said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. "He kept battling but was behind a lot in counts. Stults played on the edges and changed speeds. Tonight we didn't do a lot with him."

LA's lone run came in the bottom of the third inning. Yasiel Puig legged out an infield single, Adrian Gonzalez moved him to third with a ground-rule double and Matt Kemp lifted a sacrifice fly to short center field. Abraham Almonte fired to home plate, but Puig slid in head first as the ball trickled away.

Liriano and Amarista singled to begin the top of the fourth. After Stults laid down a sacrifice bunt, Yangervis Solarte hit a sac fly to restore the three- run cushion.

San Diego's bullpen took it from there and secured the win.

Game Notes

Stults began his major league career with Los Angeles and pitched there from 2006-2009 ... The Padres improved to 2-4 on their 10-game road trip ... Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford, who is batting 16-for-32 over his last nine games, did not start and went 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter.






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