BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres are at least competitive heading into September, unlike earlier in the season when they were doomed by an atrocious offense.
San Diego couldn’t complete a sweep of the NL West-leading Dodgers on Sunday, losing 7-1. Hyun-Jin Ryu came off the disabled list to pitch four-hit ball over seven innings, and Matt Kemp singled in the go-ahead run for the Dodgers.
The Padres, however, still took two of three from Los Angeles, just as they did against Milwaukee to start the homestand. San Diego started the Brewers on a five-game losing streak that has forced them to share the NL Central lead with St. Louis.
“It was a great series,” manager Bud Black said. “Obviously, two walk-off wins against a first-place team, which was great. We were right there today in the eighth inning, 2-1, but we just couldn’t muster any offense against Ryu and they strung together a few hits in the eighth.”
Ryu (14-6) struck out seven and walked none while allowing one run in his first start since a loss at Atlanta on Aug. 13, when he hurt his right hip. Ryu improved to 4-0 lifetime against the Padres.
The seven runs were one more than the Dodgers scored in their previous three games combined. They lost by one run in extra innings in the first two games of the series.
The Padres’ four-game winning streak was snapped. They had beaten the Dodgers in extra innings the first two games of the series.
“Overall it was a positive,” Black said. “You won a series from the first-place team, won a series from the first-place Brewers. You look at what we have done the second half and it’s all good.”
Kemp broke a 1-all tie when his single to center with one out in the fifth brought in Hanley Ramirez.
Ramirez walked against lefty Eric Stults (6-15) and advanced on Gonzalez’s single to left.
The Dodgers piled it on in the eighth, when they had five hits and two walks. Juan Uribe, who also came off the DL, hit an RBI single and Darwin Barney had a two-run single. Uribe added an RBI double in the ninth.
Stults tied for the major league lead with his career-high 15th loss, which gives him 28 in two seasons. He allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, struck out four and walked five.
The Dodgers had been 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position in the series before Scott Van Slyke hit a broken-bat single with two outs in the first to bring in Yasiel Puig.
Puig reached on a hustle double to open the game when his fly ball — made more challenging by the sun — fell between right fielder Rymer Liriano and second baseman Jedd Gyorko. Puig advanced on a passed ball and scored on Van Slyke’s single to right. Liriano threw to third to get Kemp to end the inning.
San Diego tied it in the bottom half when Yasmani Grandal’s double down the right-field line brought in Yangervis Solarte, who hit a leadoff double to left.
SEPTEMBER CALL-UPS
Minor league INF Cory Spangenberg joined the Padres on Sunday but won’t be eligible to be added to the roster until Monday. The nameplate at his locker had to be replaced after the first one was spelled Spangberg. Pitchers Robbie Erlin and Leonel Campos will join the team Monday, and Joe Wieland will join the Padres on Tuesday.
YANGERVIS SOLARTE
The third baseman had a double and single for his 29th multihit game of the season and his 10th since joining the Padres from the New York Yankees in the deal for Chase Headley.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: To make room for Ryu and Uribe, reliever Carlos Frias and infielder Miguel Rojas were optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.
Padres: Black said closer Joaquin Benoit has inflammation in his pitching shoulder that needs to settle down for seven to 10 days. Kevin Quackenbush will serve as the closer.
UP NEXT
Tyson Ross (12-12, 2.64) pitches the opener of a four-game home series against Arizona. San Diego has won six of his last eight starts.
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