• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Maddux strong as Padres blank Dodgers

Apr 14, 2008 - 12:53 AM By John Reger PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Greg Maddux continues to haunt the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Maddux allowed two hits in five scoreless innings and to defeat the Dodgers, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon.

Since the Dodgers chose not to re-sign Maddux after the 2006 season, he has gone 3-1 against his old team. He is 16-8 against the Dodgers in 35 starts and now has 349 career victories

"It was a great effort by Greg," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He went up against a guy we've had trouble with in the past."

Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley (0-2) gave up four hits but remained winless on the season.

"It's disappointing we lost 1-0," Billingsley said. "It's hard to take. Today was just tough to get going and string things together. It was just one of those days."

The game was marked by unusually hot weather as game-time temperature was 95 degrees, and Black said that was a consideration in pulling Maddux after 68 pitches.

"I think that was enough for Greg," Black said. "He only had one more inning in him anyway."

Billingsley came out of the game in the fourth, allowing four hits while striking out eight and tossing 90 pitches.

"You come into the day and know you're going to give up one run, even though you know you know you are facing Maddux, you have to feel pretty good about things," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said.

The Padres scored in the top of the fourth when Jim Edmonds walked and advanced to third on Khalil Greene's double. Edmonds scored a batter later on Paul McAnulty's sacrifice fly to right field.

Black was not concerned with his team's inconsistent offensive output.

"I think we still lead the league in hitting," Black said. "We'll start hitting for power. I'm not concerned. You have to see the type of pitching we've faced. We haven't had a whole lot of extra base hits, but we'll find our hitting."

The Dodgers certainly had pitching and defense on Sunday.

Maddux, who left immediately after the game to fly to Las Vegas to be with his family, allowed a broken-bat single by Rafael Furcal in the first inning and a sharp double by Jeff Kent in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Kent was stranded on second, the last out of the inning coming on Greene's grab of a sharp ground ball in the hole, throwing out Russell Martin.

But the team couldn't figure out Maddux and San Diego's bullpen. Three pitchers - Joe Thatcher, Cla Meredith and Heath Bell - held the Dodgers to two hits and Trevor Hoffman picked up his fourth save by stranding the tying run on second base.

"It was all about pitching," Black said. "In this day and age, it's important to have a bullpen you can count on as the season moves on, and we're going to have that."