Final
Kershaw shoots for fifth straight win in San Diego
Aug 1, 2011 - 2:40 PM (Sports Network) - Clayton Kershaw tries to pick up a fifth straight winning start this evening when the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres clash in the first of three straight games at Petco Park.Kershaw began his personal win streak with three straight scoreless outings -- spanning 23 innings -- before yielding two runs on eight hits versus Colorado on Tuesday. He also walked two and struck out six over 6 2/3 innings of a victory, moving to 12-4 with a 2.72 earned run average this season.
The left-hander is trying to join Philadelphia's Roy Halladay as the only 13- game winners in the National League and is also tops in the league with 173 strikeouts.
Kershaw has not faced the Padres this year, but did go 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA in three games versus the division rivals last year. In his career, the 23-year- old is 4-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 10 starts against San Diego.
The Dodgers have dropped three of their past four games and are coming off Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Diamondbacks. Andre Ethier had four hits and Dioner Navarro hit a solo homer, but Rubby De La Rosa yielded three runs over four innings to take the loss.
On the same day the Dodgers traded shortstop Rafael Furcal to the Cardinals for 24-year-old prospect Alex Castellanos, manager Don Mattingly felt his team came out flat.
"I don't know [why]," Mattingly told Los Angeles' website. "It's hard to put your finger on. Is it the Trade Deadline? Is it that we throw 100 pitches in the first four innings? First day game in six? I don't know what it was. Honestly, it's a guess, but it just didn't feel right today."
The trade of Furcal did open the door for prospect Dee Gordon to return to the club. The shortstop hit .232 with 11 runs scored and nine steals in 22 games with Los Angeles earlier in the year before going 1-for-4 in his return on Sunday.
San Diego, meanwhile, will look to build a winning streak tonight after rallying to beat Colorado, 8-3, on Sunday. The Padres had lost seven of nine going in, but plated six runs in the eighth inning to find the win column.
Rob Johnson capped the burst with a two-run double, Jesus Guzman finished with three RBI and Chase Headley ripped an RBI triple. Chad Qualls worked one inning of scoreless relief to earn the win and Heath Bell tossed a perfect ninth to finish off the Rockies.
"To break through like that and get a few hits and runs, sometimes it snowballs and you can get a little bit of momentum," Headley said. "Guys start to feel good about themselves, so hopefully we can build on it and play well over the next couple months."
It was somewhat surprising to see Bell close out the game given he was a strong candidate to move before yesterday's non-waiver trade deadline. Instead, the Padres shipped reliever Mike Adams to the Rangers for two minor league pitchers and also traded outfielder Ryan Ludwick to the Pirates.
Taking the hill for the Padres will be Cory Luebke, who has lost back-to-back outings.
The 26-year-old lefty was hurt by the long ball on Wednesday versus Arizona as three of the six hits he allowed were homers. He was charged with four runs over six-plus innings to fall to 3-5 with a 2.92 ERA in 35 games (six starts) this season.
"[Luebke] threw the ball fine. [Justin] Upton got him twice and [Xavier] Nady hit the ball to the right part of the park. Those are the four runs," Padres manager Bud Black said.
Luebke faced the Dodgers as a starter in his second MLB appearance last year and hurled six scoreless innings of two-hit ball in a win. He faced them in relief on May 8 of this year and allowed an unearned run over four innings.
The Dodgers have won six of nine over the Padres this year, including a three- game sweep at home in the last meeting on July 8-10.
- LOS ANGELES: 6
SAN DIEGO: 2
Final
Aug 2 12:32 AM - Matt Kemp triple to left center scored Andre Ethier with one out. Runner on third with one out and Juan Rivera due up.
Dodgers 5, Padres 2 Top 8, 1 OutAug 2 12:05 AM - Orlando Hudson lead-off Home Run (3) to center. Aaron Cunningham due up.
Dodgers 4, Padres 2 Bot 7, 0 OutsAug 1 11:52 PM - Casey Blake sacrifice fly to left scored Clayton Kershaw with one out. On the play, Dee Gordon advances to third. Runner on third with one out and Andre Ethier due up.
Dodgers 4, Padres 1 Top 5, 1 OutAug 1 11:16 PM - Dee Gordon fielder's choice to the pitcher scored Jamey Carroll with none out. On the play, Clayton Kershaw advances to second. Runners on first and second with none out and Casey Blake due up.
Dodgers 3, Padres 1 Top 5, 0 OutsAug 1 11:14 PM - Rod Barajas single to left scored Matt Kemp with one out. Runner on first with one out and James Loney due up.
Dodgers 2, Padres 1 Top 4, 1 OutAug 1 10:59 PM - James Loney sacrifice fly to center scored Juan Rivera with two out. Runner on first with two outs and Jamey Carroll due up.
Dodgers 1, Padres 1 Top 2, 2 OutsAug 1 10:28 PM - Jesus Guzman single to center scored Cameron Maybin with two out. Runner on first with two outs and Orlando Hudson due up.
Dodgers 0, Padres 1 Bot 1, 2 OutsAug 1 10:21 PM - LOS ANGELES: 0
SAN DIEGO: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Aug 1 10:06 PM
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