San Diego - Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres doubled, scoring Brian Giles of the San Diego Padres in the eighth inning and the San Diego Padres held on in the ninth to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 Wednesday night at Petco Park, for their fifth straight win and pulled within one game of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks who are tied for first in the National League West.
"To come back and beat the team that's in first place, that's huge for us," Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres said. "Tomorrow, if we win, we can get right back in the mix in that first-place area."Gonzalez said the San Diego Padres had a team meeting before Tuesday night's game "to get that edge again. We've been having it yesterday and today, that killer instinct.
We went out there with a lot of energy the last two days."Brad Penny of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitched solidly once again, but the bullpen let yet another opportunity for redemption get away as Hong Chih Kuo of the Los Angeles Dodgers allowed two runs in only 1/3 of an inning's work dropping his record to (0-4) on the year."Today was a bad day," said Hong Chih Kuo of the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose first six pitches were balls.
"I was just trying to throw strikes. Hopefully, I'll get better."manager Grady Little of the Los Angeles Dodgers felt Kuo never found his rhythm: "I think that his whole outing was dictated by those first six balls he threw. He couldn't find it out of the bullpen.
"The only mistake Brad Penny of the Los Angeles Dodgers made in his six innings of work was allowing Mark Bellhorn of the San Diego Padres to hit a two run homer in the second inning,a bright spot for the Los Angeles Dodgers was once again the play of rookie Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers who belted a pinch hit solo home run off eventual winning pitcher Scott Linebrink of the San Diego Padres in the top of the eighth inning, it was Kemp's seventh homer in just 45 at-bats.
Mike Thompson of the San Diego Padres pitched seven innings allowing two runs and only three hits, Linebrink worked the eighth and closer Trevor Hoffman of the San Diego Padres worked the ninth to earn his 15th save in 16 chances.Nomar Garciaparra of the Los Angeles Dodgers went two-for-four to raise his season average to .359, the Los Angeles Dodgers record fell to 35-30 on the year and will face the San Diego Padres in the series finale on Thursday June 15th with rookie P Chad Billingsley of the Los Angeles Dodgers making his major league debut and will pitch against Chris Young of the San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Dodgers will try to avoid being swept in this three game series by the San Diego Padres.
Closer Eric Gagne of the Los Angeles Dodgers is on the 15-day disabled list because of stiffness in his surgically repaired pitching elbow and was replaced on the roster by second baseman Jeff Kent of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
