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Ellis sends Dodgers past Padres in 11th

Sep 4, 2012 - 2:38 PM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - A.J. Ellis hit a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres in the opener of a three-game set.

Back-to-back two-out singles by Andre Ethier and Luis Cruz off Cory Burns (0-1) put runners on the corners before Ellis stroked an opposite-field base hit to right field, which plated Ethier for the winning run.

Ethier sent the game into extras with a one-out solo homer in the ninth.

Brandon League (1-1) tossed two scoreless innings to pick up the win.

Cruz tallied a career-high four hits for the Dodgers, who have won three straight games.

"That was fun," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. "It was awesome when Andre hit the home run to give us life and I'm happy for A.J. Every win is huge."

After recording six RBI Sunday, Chase Headley drove in three more on Monday for San Diego, which has lost three consecutive contests. He registered two hits, including a two-run homer in the opening frame.

Los Angeles knotted the contest after plating a run in the fifth and sixth frames.

Mark Ellis lined a two-out RBI single to left field in the fifth and Hanley Ramirez smacked a solo blast to dead center field in the sixth to tie the game at 2-2.

The Padres regained the lead in the seventh when Headley rolled a two-out RBI single up the middle for a 3-2 San Diego edge.

In the ninth, Ethier hammered a Luke Gregerson breaking pitch just over the wall and outstretched glove of a leaping Mark Kotsay in right-center field to knot the contest.

"Luke threw a slider to Andre that caught too much of the plate and he put a good swing on it," said Padres manager Bud Black.

Game Notes

Dodgers starter Joe Blanton surrendered three runs on seven hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings, while San Diego starter Andrew Werner allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out eight.