JOE RESNICK
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Odrisamer Despaigne had the misfortune of drawing major league ERA leader Clayton Kershaw as his mound opponent for the second time this season.
The way the Los Angeles Dodgers knocked Despaigne around this time, it probably wouldn’t have mattered who the other starting pitcher was.
Despaigne was charged with seven runs — six earned — and eight hits over 4 1-3 innings on Monday night in the San Diego Padres’ 9-4 loss. The right-hander dropped a 2-1 decision to Kershaw on July 10 at Dodger Stadium, when the four-time All-Star handed Despaigne his first loss in the big leagues.
“He was a little rough, a little spotty,” manager Bud Black said. “His stuff was fine, but he just couldn’t string any pitches together and they bunched some hits against him.”
Hanley Ramirez tied a season high with four hits and drove in two runs, helping the Dodgers increase their NL West lead to 3 1-2 games over the idle San Francisco Giants. Juan Uribe and Carl Crawford homered for Los Angeles and Yasiel Puig ended a 60 at-bat RBI drought with a run-scoring single against Despaigne (3-6).
The Dodgers staked Kershaw to a 2-0 lead with an RBI single by Ramirez in the first, and an opposite-field drive by Uribe in the second inning.
The Padres, whose six-game losing streak is their longest of the season, got one of the runs back in the fourth on Rene Rivera’s RBI single. But the Dodgers extended their margin to 4-1 in the bottom half.
Puig drove in Matt Kemp with a single for his 60th RBI and first since Aug. 15. Two batters later, A.J. Ellis snapped an RBI drought of 31 at-bats when he grounded to second with the infield in.
The Dodgers blew it open with four in the eighth. Kemp chased Despaigne with an RBI double that extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Crawford then greeted Frank Garces with his seventh homer, a three-run shot that made it 8-1.
Kershaw (18-3) took over sole possession of the major league lead in wins and reduced his major league-best ERA to 1.67. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner allowed three runs — one earned — and three hits in eight innings while striking out eight.
The Padres scored two unearned runs in the sixth on Rivera’s routine flyball to center field that resulted in throwing errors by Puig, catcher Ellis and shortstop Ramirez — on the same play.
“That was a wacky one,” Black said. “We talk about it all the time. You come to a ballpark and you’ll see something you’ve never seen before. And that was it tonight.”
Kershaw is 15-1 with a 1.20 ERA and six complete games in his last 18 starts, including a no-hitter. He has a chance to become the first Dodgers starter to finish with an ERA under 2.00 in consecutive seasons since Sandy Koufax (1963-64).
“This guy’s passed the test of time with the number of great performances he’s had,” Black said. “He’s the best pitcher in the game, and you’d be hard-pressed to take anybody over him right now.”
STARTING THE WAY THEY’LL FINISH
The 2015 major league schedule was unveiled on Monday, and the Padres will open up the season with a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. They also will wind up the regular season with a three-game set at Chavez Ravine.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: SS Everth Cabrera, who hasn’t played since Aug. 9 because of a left hamstring strain, could be activated during next weekend’s series in Arizona. He was arrested Wednesday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana. … Neither Joaquin Benoit nor Blaine Boyer, both experiencing shoulder problems, were available out of the bullpen.
Dodgers: Reliever Paco Rodriguez (elbow) continued to throw on flat ground and is scheduled to have a bullpen session in a couple of days.
UP NEXT
Padres: Andrew Cashner (2-7, 2.39 ERA) is 0-5 in his last 10 starts despite a 2.90 ERA during that stretch.
Dodgers: Roberto Hernandez (8-10, 4.00 ERA) allowed four homers last Monday in a 6-4 loss to Washington. He is 2-2 with a 4.61 ERA in five starts since he was acquired from Philadelphia on Aug. 7.
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