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Peavy tosses two-hitter as Padres cruise past Dodgers

Apr 6, 2008 - 12:06 AM By Tim Powers PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Jake Peavy victimized a familiar foe to collect his first complete game in over 1 1/2 years.

Peavy tossed a two-hitter and the San Diego Padres used a big first inning Saturday to top the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-1.

Peavy (2-0) allowed one run and two hits in notching his sixth career complete game. He threw 116 pitches - 80 for strikes - while striking out eight and walking one.

The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, Peavy worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth, getting Russell Martin to ground into a double play before retiring James Loney on a grounder to post his first complete game since September 2006.

"I had to tell (Padres manager Bud Black) that I felt good and that I had something left," Peavy said about returning to the mound in the ninth. "It's tough because we have the best closer of all time (Trevor Hoffman) out there. I appreciate Buddy showing the confidence in me, but no disrespect to (Hoffman)."

The 26-year-old righthander improved to 10-1 lifetime against the Dodgers, including eight consecutive wins against the National League West rival.

"I just located the ball well and threw some two-seamers," Peavy said. "It was a good day, I think I used a little bit of everything. You just kind of have to go with what was working and keep that lineup guessing because (the Dodgers) can hit."

Los Angeles' Brad Penny (1-1) continued a trend in the opposite direction, falling to 0-4 with a 6.12 ERA in five career starts at Petco Park.

The 29-year-old righthander got off to a rough start as San Diego used six singles to push across four runs in the first, giving Peavy all the support he needed.

Kevin Kouzmanoff, Khalil Greene and Josh Bard all had run-scoring singles in the frame and Scott Hairston added a sacrifice fly.

"I think the big thing was getting on Penny in the first inning," Black said. "That was a great sign. I think that was the big thing, jumping on their guy, and then Jake making that hold up."

Penny lasted six innings, yielding four runs and 10 hits while striking out three and walking one.

"He had good stuff," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "The only thing in the first was, he got to two strikes but then began leaving his pitches up."

Los Angeles' lone run came on an unusual play in the fourth.

After Rafael Furcal tripled to lead off the inning, Bard made a sliding catch on Russell Martin's foul pop-up while sliding into the Padres' dugout. Plate umpire Jim Joyce allowed Furcal to advance a base, ruling that Bard had fallen into foul territory after the catch, drawing the Dodgers within 4-1.

"I haven't looked at it on video, but the way I understand it, it's the equivalent of a player landing in the stands," Bard said. "I was as surprised as anyone that the ball landed in the glove."

Brian Giles, Kouzmanoff and Greene all turned in multi-hit efforts for the Padres, who did not collect an extra-base hit.