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Hu's hit helps Dodgers take rubber game at Padres

Apr 7, 2008 - 12:32 AM By Tim Powers PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- For the second time in a week, the game's all-time saves leader cost his team the game in the ninth inning.

Chin-lung Hu drove in the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers took the finale of a three-game set with a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.

Hu singled against Padres closer Trevor Hoffman (0-2) in the ninth to score Russell Martin, who reached on a leadoff walk by the all-time saves leader to snap a 2-2 tie in a game that saw the lead change hands three times.

"I took the first pitch down the middle, and then I was looking for the changeup," Hu said. "His best pitch is his changeup so I was waiting for that one."

The 40-year-old Hoffman was tagged for four runs Wednesday night against Houston in a blown save opportunity in which he suffered the loss as well.

"The bottom line is I've got to go out and do my job and that's something I haven't done so far," Hoffman said. "(Hu) got inside of it enough to keep it fair. I wasn't able to get the changeup down in the zone to where I thought he was going to swing over it."

Jonathan Broxton (1-0) held San Diego scoreless for 1 1/3 innings to earn the victory. The righthander escaped a first-and-third jam with one out by the Padres in the eighth.

"(The Dodgers) wiggled out of some jams," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Broxton did a good job, but our pitchers did too. We just couldn't get that last one. Hu dropped that ball down the line."

Takashi Saito retired the side in order in the ninth to convert his first save chance of the season.

"It was a great game to win, especially on the road," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "We made a couple of errors, but I thought we played well defensively. It was a crisp game for us. We did some good things."

Andre Ethier's second-inning solo shot gave Los Angeles an early 1-0 lead, but San Diego evened the score on a double by Adrian Gonzalez that plated Tadahito Iguchi in the bottom of the third.

Iguchi reached on a throwing error by Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Kouzmanoff, giving San Diego a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth.

But the Dodgers answered in the next inning as Ethier singled and scored on Martin's double in the seventh to knot the game again.

"It was a typical game in this series," Dodgers starter Derek Lowe said. "It's early, but it's important for us to get as many wins at this stadium as we can. We've really struggled here. For us, it's important for just our own peace of mind to know you can come in here and win some games."

Padres starter Chris Young turned in a solid effort, allowing two runs over seven innings, striking out eight while walking three batters.

"I thought Chris threw well," Black said. "Chris held his stuff pretty much throughout the game. In the middle innings, he threw the ball very well. Seven innings, two runs, I think we'll take that every time out."

Lowe also pitched well, going six effective innings, yielding two runs - one earned - on five hits. He struck out six and walked one.