Padres end 6-game skid with 6-3 win over Dodgers

BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andrew Cashner finally had something to show for another start: a victory.

He pitched seven strong innings to win for the first time since mid-April, Jedd Gyorko hit a two-run homer, and the San Diego Padres snapped a six-game skid by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-3 Tuesday night.

“I thought Cash really threw the ball well and clutched up and made pitches at big times when the Dodgers were threatening,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “He held his stuff throughout the game, pitched with a lot of aggressiveness. I’m happy we got the early runs and he made them hold up.”

The Dodgers had their four-game winning streak end, and their NL West lead was cut to 2½ games over San Francisco.

The Padres totaled 12 runs during their losing streak, but they built a 5-0 lead for Cashner by the third inning, allowing him to beat the Dodgers for the first time.

“Whether it’s me or somebody else it’s just big getting the lead early,” he said. “It gives you a lot more room for error, you can work ahead and pitch guys more different.”

Cashner (3-7) allowed two runs and nine hits, struck out two and walked one after being winless in 11 outings, including five no-decisions. His last victory was against Colorado on April 16. The right-hander improved to 1-2 against the Dodgers.

“It’s kind of been a monkey on my back,” he said.

Roberto Hernandez (8-11) gave up five runs — two earned — and five hits in three innings, struck out three and walked one in his shortest outing of the season. In his previous start, the right-hander gave up a career-high four home runs.

“I’m not really sure what’s going on,” Hernandez said through a translator. “It’s a very difficult situation, and I’m just trying to survive.”

Gyorko’s homer on the first pitch he faced from Hernandez in the third extended San Diego’s lead to 5-0. He went 2 for 4 in his third multi-hit game in his last four.

“I’m seeing it a lot better than I was before,” Gyorko said. “It’s been a long climb from the beginning of the year, but it feels good to get a few hits and help the team. I’m starting to feel more comfortable and it’s getting better.”

The Padres went ahead 3-0 with two outs in the second.

Cashner helped himself with a two-run double, and Cory Spangenberg followed with an RBI single.

“It’s fun whenever you get to hit and run the bases,” Cashner said. “I always like hitting and wish I could play a position.”

Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez committed the first of his two errors in the inning on Cashner’s double to deep center with runners on the corners.

The throw to the infield bounced past two cutoff men, including a sprawling Ramirez, allowing the runner on first to score and Cashner to advance to third.

Ramirez made an effort to get Cashner at third after recovering the ball on the lip of the infield grass, but his awkward, backhanded throw hit the Padres pitcher as he slid into third.

“It just happened to be a costly one tonight so it looks bad,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.

That play came a night after the Dodgers committed three throwing errors on the same play, allowing San Diego to score two runs in Los Angeles’ 9-4 victory.

The Dodgers trailed 5-2 in the sixth on Adrian Gonzalez’s two-run homer. Matt Kemp followed with a double, but he was hit by the ball off Carl Crawford’s bat and was out at third.

The Padres added a run in the eighth on Rene Rivera’s sacrifice fly.

Pinch-hitter Justin Turner’s RBI single in the ninth drew the Dodgers to 6-3 before Kevin Quackenbush struck out Dee Gordon, and Ramirez flied out to end the game.

FEELS LIKE HOME

Padres first baseman Yasmani Grandal is batting .321 with three doubles, a homer and two RBIs in nine games at Dodger Stadium this season. He reached base in four of five plate appearances, going 2 for 3 with two walks, two doubles and two runs scored Tuesday.

STREAKING KEMP

Matt Kemp extended his season-high hitting streak to 15 games with a double in the sixth. He is batting .339 with seven doubles, four homers and 13 RBIs during the stretch which began on Aug. 22. It’s the third-longest hitting streak of his career.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: RHP Joaquin Benoit and RHP Blaine Boyer, both experiencing shoulder problems, are progressing and should return soon.

UP NEXT

Padres: Ian Kennedy (10-12, 3.75) has worked six or more innings in 20 of his 29 starts, including 20 of his last 28 since April 6.

Dodgers: Dan Haren (12-10, 4.17) has pitched well in his last six starts, going 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA and limiting batters to a .203 average.

Roberto Hernandez (8-11) gave up five runs — two earned — and five hits in three innings, struck out three and walked one.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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