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Dodgers down Padres

Sep 28, 2012 - 7:40 AM San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Chris Capuano worked 5 1/3 effective innings on Thursday as the Los Angeles Dodgers remained in the thick of the wild card chase with an 8-4 victory over the San Diego Padres in the finale of a three- game series at Petco Park.

Capuano (12-11) gave up one run on five hits and four walks with two strikeouts to win for the first time since August 12. Brandon League closed it out with a scoreless ninth inning.

Luis Cruz went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI and A.J. Ellis drove in two runs for the Dodgers, who moved to within three games of idle St. Louis for the second and final National League wild card spot.

"It's not something I think we're really thinking about," Capuano said of the wild card race. "We could win out and we'd still have to have other people helping us out to get in at this point so I think we don't really have anything to lose at this point."

Casey Kelly (2-3) was knocked around for five runs on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks over 4 2/3 innings in defeat for San Diego, which has lost four of its last six games.

"A guy that hasn't logged a lot of professional innings here in the big leagues, learning on the job, he's cutting his teeth," Padres manager Bud Black said of Kelly. "He'll be better off for games like tonight moving forward. These are invaluable for him."

Mark Kotsay smoked a pinch-hit, two-run double, while Carlos Quentin and Will Venable each had an RBI in a losing cause. Yonder Alonso had three hits and scored a run.

After stranding runners on base in each of their first three at-bats, the Dodgers finally broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning.

Adrian Gonzalez got things started with a base hit and moved into scoring position three batters later on a single by Cruz. Gonzalez crossed the plate with the first run of the game on a single into left field by Ellis.

Los Angeles broke the game open with four runs in the fifth inning. Matt Kemp got the rally started with a two-out double to deep center field and Gonzalez was intentionally walked. Hanley Ramirez was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Shane Victorino was credited with an RBI after getting plunked, which ended the night for Kelly.

Cruz followed and drove in a pair with a base hit up the middle before Ellis capped the inning with an RBI single to left field for the 5-0 advantage.

An RBI base knock by Gonzalez in the sixth made it a 6-0 game.

San Diego finally got on the board in the home portion of the inning. Chase Headley walked and Yasmani Grandal singled. Everth Cabrera beat out an infield hit later in the frame to load the bases with two down.

Jamey Wright was called in from the LA bullpen, but plunked Quentin, forcing in Headley for a 6-1 contest.

Elian Herrera ripped a pinch-hit single to begin the Los Angeles eighth and came around to score later in the inning when Kemp reached base courtesy of an error by Alexi Amarista.

The Padres got three runs back in the home half of the eighth to cut the deficit to 7-4. Alonso doubled with one out and scored when Kotsay ripped a pinch-hit, two-run double to deep center. Venable drove in Kotsay with a single up the middle.

Victorino scored from third on a wild pitch in the ninth to account for the final margin.

Game Notes

Despite the loss, the Padres are now 41-37 at home this season. They clinched a winning record at Petco Park for the seventh time in nine seasons... Padres second baseman Logan Forsythe was scratched due to right knee soreness ... San Diego finished 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 on base.