Padres 5 - 2 Dodgers
Final
  for this game

LA's Ethier puts hit streak on line vs. Padres

Apr 30, 2011 - 2:49 PM (Sports Network) - Andre Ethier tries to run his major league-record hit streak for April to 26 games this evening when the Los Angeles Dodgers continue their three-game series against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.

Ethier's magical month continued in Friday's opener, as he extended his run with a fifth-inning double in the Dodgers' 3-2 win. Ethier's tear has now tied Steve Sax (1986) and Paul Lo Duca (2003) for second on the all-time franchise list, six behind Willie Davis' 31-game streak in 1969.

"In the fifth I was looking for a sinking fastball, I put a good swing on it and turned it over," said Ethier, who is hitting .396 with 16 RBI during the streak. "I'm enjoying every moment of this."

Ethier has raised his average from .125 to .375 since the streak began.

Los Angeles, though, had to overcome yet another shaky outing from Jonathan Broxton to secure its sixth win in its last nine games on Friday. Broxton managed to get his sixth save, but allowed a run and put runners at the corners before defensive replacement Tony Gwynn made a game-saving catch off the bat of Nick Hundley to end the game.

"Tony made a great catch," LA's Matt Kemp said. "When Tony gets in the game, he makes things happen."

Ted Lilly (2-2) got the win, allowing five hits over six innings. Clayton Richard (1-2) yielded eight hits over 5 2/3 frames to suffer the loss.

"Clayton threw the ball well, it was a good matchup with Lilly," Padres manager Bud Black said. "We had good stuff at the end. Nick hit the ball hard. I thought it was going to the corner, but Gwynn made a great play."

Hoping to slow Ethier down tonight will be righty Tim Stauffer, who has pitched well, but is 0-1 with a 3.21 ERA. Stauffer did not get a decision last Saturday against Philadelphia, despite allowing just two runs and four hits in six innings of his team's 4-2 loss. He has surrendered two runs or less in four of his five outings this season, but has also made it out of the fifth inning only three times.

Stauffer has faced the Dodgers eight times (six starts) and is 3-2 with a 3.31 ERA.

Heading to the hill for the Dodgers tonight will be Japanese right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, who had his best outing of the season against the Padres back on April 9 when he scattered six hits over 8 2/3 innings. He is 6-4 lifetime against them with a 3.98 ERA in 11 starts.

Kuroda snapped a two-start losing streak his last time out on Sunday in Chicago, as he held the Cubs to three runs (two earned) and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Los Angeles took two of three from the Padres earlier in the year at Petco Park. San Diego, though, won five of its nine matchups at Chavez Ravine a year ago.






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