Dodgers 4, Padres 2: Josh Beckett matched a season high with eight strikeouts over seven scoreless innings and Hanley Ramirez drove in a pair of runs as visiting Los Angeles evened its three-game set against San Diego.
Beckett (5-4) managed his second win in five starts since tossing a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 25, allowing four hits and two walks to lower his ERA to 2.28 – the third-best mark in the National League. Dee Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez each added an RBI single for the Dodgers (41-35), who tied a season high by moving six games over .500 with their fourth victory in the last five contests.
Tyson Ross (6-7) dropped his third consecutive decision, yielding three runs (two earned) and six hits over seven frames. Alexi Amarista supplied two of the four singles the Padres could muster off Beckett while Tommy Medica and Rene Rivera each hit two-out run-scoring singles off Brandon League in the eighth inning to spoil the Dodgers’ bid for a shutout.
Drew Butera led off the third with a single and advanced on Beckett’s sacrifice before Gordon grounded past shortstop Everth Cabrera to plate the game’s first run. Gordon stole his major league-best 39th base on a pitchout two pitches later and moved to third on the same play when Rivera’s throw got past second baseman Jace Peterson, allowing Ramirez to push across another run with a sacrifice fly.
The Dodgers tacked on an insurance run in the fifth as Justin Turner opened the frame with a single and took second base moments later on a wild pitch ahead of Ramirez, who ripped a liner into left-center. Los Angeles added one more run in the eighth off reliever Alex Torres as Gonzalez lined a single to center to score Gordon, and Kenley Jansen worked around a one-out single in the ninth to post his 21st save.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Dodgers RF Yasiel Puig, who exited Friday’s series opener with a mild hip strain, went 0-for-3 with a walk. … Padres LF Carlos Quentin (knee) and 3B Chase Headley (back) were both held out of the lineup. Quentin flew out as a pinch hitter in the ninth while Headley did not play. … San Diego has dropped 10 of its last 13 against Los Angeles and seven of 10 home matchups versus the Dodgers.
LA Dodgers | San Diego | |
Josh Beckett | Player | Tyson Ross |
Win | W/L | Loss |
7.0 | IP | 7.0 |
8 | Strikeouts | 5 |
4 | Hits | 6 |
0.00 | ERA | 2.57 |
LA Dodgers | San Diego | |
Hanley Ramirez | Player | Alexi Amarista |
2 | Hits | 2 |
2 | RBI | 0 |
0 | HR | 0 |
3 | TB | 2 |
.667 | Avg | .500 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
LA Dodgers | 8 | 0 | 9 | .250 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
San Diego | 8 | 0 | 10 | .235 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 |