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Kemp leads Dodgers past Padres

Sep 27, 2012 - 3:45 AM San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Matt Kemp went 4-for-5 with a homer and 4 RBI and Adrian Gonzalez had two hits and drove in a pair of runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers hammered the San Diego Padres, 8-2, in the middle test of a three-game set.

"I'm pretty good when I get good pitches to hit," Kemp said. "If I can do that it gives me a chance to do something good for my team. I got a few good pitches and did my thing."

Nick Punto went 3-for-5 and scored four runs and Juan Rivera added a solo shot for the Dodgers, who trail the St. Louis Cardinals by 3 1/2 games for the final NL wild card spot.

The Cardinals were shutout by the Houston Astros, 2-0, on Wednesday.

Aaron Harang (10-10) gave up four hits and four walks while striking out three over 5 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up the win.

"His mix of pitches was solid, and we just didn't see him tonight," Padres manager Bud Black said of Harang. "I think that was the key, we couldn't get to him."

Yasmani Grandal and Chase Headley each knocked in a run for the Padres, who have dropped five of eight.

Clayton Richard (14-13) gave up six runs -- four earned -- on 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings to absorb the loss.

The Dodgers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Back-to-back singles by Punto and Kemp put runners on the corners for Gonzalez, who ripped a base hit to right-center field to plate Punto. Hanley Ramirez followed with a hard-hit single to left field to push Kemp across.

Los Angeles kept its foot on the gas, adding one in the third, three in the fourth and two in the sixth.

In the third, Punto reached on a bunt single, moved to second on Kemp's groundout before coming around on Gonzalez's single to left field.

Rivera opened the fourth with a solo homer and Kemp's double scored Punto and Matt Treanor to put the Dodgers up 6-0.

Kemp's two-run shot to center field in the sixth extended Los Angeles' spread to 8-0.

San Diego finally got on the board in the seventh when Logan Forsythe scored on Headley's double. Grandal followed with a single to right field to plate Headley.

Game Notes

Harang won his first start since Aug. 18 and improves is career-record to 105-104 ... Dodgers third baseman Luis Cruz has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games ... The Padres had won Richard's last six starts entering the game.