• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Dodgers walk to win over Stauffer, Padres

Aug 31, 2011 - 6:08 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Tim Stauffer was all over the place with his pitches in the second inning and that put the Padres in a giant hole against the Dodgers.

Andre Ethier belted a grand slam to cap the eight-run frame, one in which Stauffer walked a team-record six batters, on the way to an 8-5 Los Angeles victory Tuesday night.

Stauffer (8-11) walked three batters with the bases loaded. The right-hander threw just 25 of his 61 pitches for strikes before departing with two outs in the second inning and was officially charged with seven runs.

"From my vantage point, there were a lot of good pitches thrown," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He was trying to throw strikes, but he didn't do it. He's got good stuff. He had a rough game. He's one of the best pitchers in the National League. Tonight was extremely uncharacteristic."

Hiroki Kuroda (11-14) was the beneficiary of the big inning, as he allowed seven hits and four runs to win his fourth straight start, a career-high winning streak. His 11 wins tie a career-best, set last season.

The Dodgers, who won for the seventh time in eight games, are 7-1 over their last eight vs. San Diego.

"It was a walk in the park early, but it didn't feel like that at the end," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "We swung the bats well. Hiroki was good, but had a little struggle with his slider."

Kyle Blanks and Orlando Hudson hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning for San Diego, which suffered its sixth straight defeat.

The Dodgers sent 13 men to the plate in the second. Ethier led off with a base hit and Aaron Miles walked. After A.J. Ellis fanned, Jamey Carroll walked. Kuroda then squared to bunt, but Stauffer's 3-2 offering was outside, giving LA its first run.

Justin Sellers followed with a sacrifice fly to center and Stauffer then walked three straight batters, including Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera with the bases full. In fact, he threw six straight pitches out of the strike zone.

Ethier was up next and he smacked Anthony Bass' first pitch over the wall in right for his third career grand slam.

"It was a fastball. I had good at-bats. We played a good game," Ethier said.

The six walks in the second surpassed the Padres team record of five set by Juan Eichelberger against the Cardinals on August 29, 1981 in the second game of a doubleheader.

Los Angeles actually had seven walks in the frame as Ellis drew one with two outs from Bass.

The Dodgers also displayed good defense in the fourth inning. Nick Hundley flied out to center field and Kemp cut down Jesus Guzman trying to score, as Ellis blocked the plate.

Blanks homered with Guzman and Jason Bartlett aboard in the sixth, and Hudson followed with his sixth of the season, a shot to right-center field.

Guzman doubled in Bartlett in the next inning, but Kenley Jansen and Javy Guerra combined to shut down the Padres over the final two frames. Guerra notched his 12th save.

Game Notes

The Padres recalled outfielder Blake Tekotte from Double-A San Antonio and optioned right-handed pitcher Erik Hamren to Triple-A Tucson...Kuroda is 8-4 lifetime against the Padres...The six walks allowed by Stauffer is one off the National League record for a single inning...Los Angeles is 10-4 vs. the Padres this year...The Padres issued 12 walks, one off a team record.