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Loney, Furcal too much to handle as Dodgers coast

Sep 14, 2007 - 5:31 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- If the Los Angeles Dodgers do not like facing the San Diego Padres, James Loney certainly seems oblivious to it.

Loney had four RBI and Rafael Furcal scored three times, leading the Dodgers to a much-needed 6-3 victory over the San Diego Padres.

The win gave Los Angeles its first series win over the Padres in the last four meetings between the division rivals and moves the Dodgers (77-69) to within 1 1/2 games of National League wild card leader San Diego (78-67).

"This is what we needed to do to keep our playoff chances alive," Dodgers manager Grady Little said. "Winning this series is what we wanted to do, and now we get a chance to keep playing good baseball against Arizona this weekend."

Loney recorded his third straight three-hit game against the Padres, finishing the three-game set batting .692 (9-for-13) with two homers, eight RBI and five runs scored.

"I'm just going up to the plate and trying to hit the ball hard and make things happen," Loney said. "I hope I can keep helping the team win games right now anyway I can."

Loney and Furcal teamed up three times over the first four innings, starting in the first when Furcal singled and stole second - the first of three stolen bases for the leadoff hitter. Furcal advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Juan Pierre and crossed the plate when Loney doubled to deep right.

"My job is to get on base and let the guys behind me drive me in," Furcal said.

The duo struck again in both the third and fourth innings as Loney singled home Furcal in each frame. Loney scored in the fourth when Luis Gonzalez singled to open a 4-0 lead for Los Angeles.

"We played good aggressive baseball tonight and just want to keep this up until the end," Loney said.

Loney's hitting and Furcal's speed contributed to Padres starter Greg Maddux (12-10) lasting just 3 1/3 innings - his shortest outing since his second start of the 2003 season. The 41-year-old righthander had his five-game winning streak snapped and exited after just 55 pitches, allowing six runs and 10 hits.

"I just didn't have my best stuff tonight," Maddux said. "They have a good lineup and if they swing the bats like they did tonight, they are going to make some noise down the stretch."

"Greg (Maddux) was around the zone with his pitches; I just think they didn't have the movement he wanted tonight," Padres manager Bud Black said. "We're going to need him to bounce back and pitch how he's capable of pitching. I'm confident that he will his next time out."

Ex-Padre David Wells (8-8) limited San Diego to just one hit through five frames, but appeared to tire after that, leaving the ball up in the strike zone several times in the sixth and allowing Morgan Ensberg and Mike Cameron to hit first-pitch homers in the inning. The lefthander left after six innings, permitting three runs and four hits.

"I felt good out there tonight," Wells said. "I knew coming into the game that we needed to win so I just wanted to do my best and keep us in the game to give us a chance to win."

Scott Proctor and Jonathan Broxton each tossed a perfect inning apiece before handing it over in the ninth to closer Takashi Saito, who set San Diego down in order to post his 38th save in 41 tries.

It just their second head-to-head meeting between Wells and Maddux. The two were on opposite teams last September 15, when Maddux and his Dodgers downed Wells' Padres, 3-1.