(Sports Network) – Matt Kemp continues his pursuit to become the major
league’s first Triple Crown winner in 44 years this evening when the Los
Angeles Dodgers open a three-game set with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

Kemp enters the weekend set third in the National League in batting (.326)
behind Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun (.330) and New York’s Jose Reyes (.329), one
back of St. Louis’ Albert Pujols (37) for the home run lead, and has a league-
high 118 RBI.

“The chants of MVP are overwhelming,” said Kemp. “If it happens it happens.
I’m not going to put any more pressure on myself.”

Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski was the last player to lead the league in average,
home runs and RBI, while there hasn’t been an NL Triple Crown winner since Joe
Medwick accomplished the feat for St. Louis in 1937.

Kemp helped his cause on Thursday, as he went 4-for-5 and scored three times
in the Dodgers’ 8-2 win over San Francisco.

“Six more games, I’m not going to put any more pressure on myself,” said Kemp,
who has also stolen 40 bases. “I’m just going to hit the ball hard and we’ll
see where it goes.”

The Dodgers won for the 21st time in their last 29 games on Thursday.

Tonight, Los Angeles will rely on lefty Ted Lilly, who has won three of his
last four decisions. Lilly beat the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, holding
them to a run and four hits in seven innings, as he improved to 10-14 to go
along with a 4.27 ERA.

Lilly has faced the Padres 16 times (15 starts) and is 9-4 with a 2.86 ERA
against them.

San Diego, meanwhile, will counter with lefty Wade LeBlanc, who is 4-5 with a
5.07 ERA. LeBlanc won for the second straight time after a three-start losing
streak on Saturday against Arizona, holding the Diamondbacks to a run and four
hits in six innings.

LeBlanc, though, is just 1-5 lifetime versus the Dodgers with a 5.21 ERA in
seven starts.

San Diego enters this weekend’s set following a three-game sweep of the
Colorado Rockies. The Padres have won five of their last six, but still
occupy the cellar of the National League West, two games back of the Dodgers.

Los Angeles has owned the Padres this season, going 11-4 against them,
including wins in four of the six meetings in San Diego.

The Sports Network

Read More: Rod Barajas (C – LOS), Dana Eveland (P – LOS), Ted Lilly (P – LOS), Matt Kemp (CF – LOS), James Loney (1B – LOS), San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers, Aug 31, 2011 12:10 PM PDT

Rod Barajas hit a two-run home run in the second inning, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-2 win over the San Diego Padres Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers swept the Padres for the second straight time in Los Angeles, and have now won eight of their last nine games.

The Dodgers finished August at 17-11, their first winning month since June 2010.

Barajas also doubled on Wednesday, capping off a wonderful month that saw the catcher hit .357 with six home runs and 19 RBI in 18 games. James Loney also had a stellar month for the Dodgers, and had two hits today, including an RBI and a run scored. Matt Kemp also drove in a run, setting a new career high with 102 RBI.

Ted Lilly pitched into the sixth inning for his second straight win. He allowed two runs, but also was at his most wild. He walked four batters in a game for the first time since June 1, 2010.

After the game, the Dodgers announced Dana Eveland will be promoted from Triple A to start in Pittsburgh on Thursday. The Dodgers play once against the Pirates to makeup a rained out game from May 12.

For more news and information on the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.

The 25-year-old right-hander gave up two singles in 1 1-3 innings and struck out three of the seven batters he faced. He earlier had his contract selected from Triple-A Tucson.

“It was definitely one of those things I’ll never forget. I was trying not to concentrate on the batter and just throw my pitches,” Brach said. “It’s exciting looking back at it now. At the time, I was just worried about the next batter.”

He walked out of the bullpen feeling nervous in front of a sparse crowd at Dodger Stadium. When Brach reached the mound, second baseman Orlando Hudson came over with some encouraging words.

“He took all the pressure away and just made me concentrate on the hitter and forget about everything else that was going on around me,” he said.

Brach’s trip to the majors included stops in Peoria, Ariz., Fort Wayne, Ind., and Lake Elsinore, Calif., where he was the California League pitcher of the year in 2010.

“The journey was well worth it, that’s for sure,” he said.

Padres manager Bud Black was impressed with Brach’s stuff back in spring training.

“The fastball at times has a nice cut to it,” he said. “I’m sure it’s a nice feather in his cap to look back and know that the first guy that he struck out in the major leagues was Matt Kemp. That’s pretty nice.”

Kemp got his career-high 102nd RBI and Rod Barajas hit a two-run homer as the Dodgers completed a three-game series sweep. The Padres finished 1-7 on their eight-game trip.

Los Angeles starter Ted Lilly (9-13) allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings. He had a season-high four walks in his ninth career win over the Padres — his most against a single opponent.

Javy Guerra pitched the ninth to earn his 13th save in 14 chances.

Wade LeBlanc (2-4) gave up four runs and six hits in six innings for San Diego.

“I didn’t have a whole lot today, so when you get to that point, it’s just a matter of how close you can keep the game and give the guys a chance to win it,” he said. “Mechanically, I just felt really off. I felt like I was rushing.”

Kemp’s single to left in the first inning gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

LeBlanc tied it with a two-out RBI single in the second that was preceded by consecutive walks by Lilly.

The Padres’ other run came on Alberto Gonzalez’s RBI double in the sixth.

The Dodgers took the lead for good when Barajas hit a 3-1 pitch off the left-field foul pole in the bottom of the second. Barajas’ 15th homer drove in James Loney, who reached on a leadoff walk.

NOTES: Dodgers RF Andre Ethier, who came in hitting .533 on the homestand, singled as a pinch hitter in the eighth. … The Dodgers earned their fourth series sweep of the season and their second over the Padres. … The Padres claimed OF Jeremy Hermida off outright waivers from Cincinnati and designated C Kyle Phillips for assignment. Hermida is set to join the team in San Diego on Friday. … The Padres optioned OF Blake Tekotte to Double-A San Antonio and transferred RHP Dustin Moseley from the 15-day to the 60-day DL. Moseley had season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder Aug. 3. … The Dodgers placed RHP Matt Guerrier on paternity leave and recalled RHP Josh Lindblom from Double-A Chattanooga. Lindblom replaced Lilly and threw 16 pitches in the sixth inning.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

“This was kind of one of our game,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “Last night was one of our games. In these tight games, you have to take advantage of your opportunities.”

Bartlett, who had three hits, broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff home run in the sixth against Ted Lilly (7-11). The Padres stopped their five-game losing streak against the Dodgers.

“That was supposed to be a fastball that was in on his hands,” Lilly said. “but it was up and too much out over the plate to which he could get the barrel through it. In those situations, you’re in a tight game like that, it’s pretty disappointing for me to let a game go like that.”

The Dodgers nearly tied it in the seventh. Dioner Navarro led off with a single and Tony Gwynn Jr. reached on a bunt single. First baseman Jesus Guzman fielded Gwynn’s drag bunt cleanly, but second baseman Orlando Hudson failed to cover first.

“It was a well-placed bunt and we just weren’t able to get him,” Stauffer said.

Jamey Carroll advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt and Stauffer was pulled. Reliever Josh Spence then intentionally walked pinch-hitter Casey Blake — Spence, a 2010 draftee who began the season in Double-A San Antonio, had retired his previous 14 batters.

Spence escaped the bases-loaded jam when he caught a line drive from Dee Gordon and struck out pinch-hitter Aaron Miles.

Chad Qualls worked a scoreless eighth before Heath Bell came on in the ninth.

Bell, the subject of trade rumors prior to the July 31 deadline, got his first save since San Diego opted not to deal the closer, who is in the last year of his contract. The save was Bell’s 31st in 33 opportunities.

Stauffer and Lilly traded scoreless innings before Bartlett hit a drive that barely cleared the left-field fence. The home run was Bartlett’s second of the season and first at Petco Park, and snapped a 16-inning scoreless stretch for the Padres.

Lilly had allowed just three hits prior to Bartlett’s homer, and had retired the previous eight batters. He worked six innings, yielding one run on four hits while striking out seven and walking one in his first loss to San Diego in three starts this season.

Aaron Cunningham tripled and scored in the seventh. Jesus Guzman singled to score Bartlett for another run in the eighth.

Stauffer (7-8) gave up six hits, walked one and struck out two.

“I felt good,” Stauffer said. “I was able to command really all of my pitches tonight. I got ahead early, and forced them to put the ball in play early and hit some balls hard but hit them at my guys who made some plays when they needed to.”

NOTES: The shutout was San Diego’s sixth of the season, while the Dodgers have been held scoreless 11 times. The Dodgers beat the Padres 1-0 the previous night. … Padres C Nick Hundley began a rehab assignment in San Antonio on Tuesday. Hundley, who had surgery on his right elbow, is expected to return to the Padres during the upcoming 10-game road trip. … The Dodgers and Padres are off Thursday.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Dodgers’ missed opportunities cost them a sweep and a sixth straight win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night.

Tim Stauffer shut down the Dodgers for 6 1-3 innings, Jason Bartlett homered and the San Diego Padres averted a three-game sweep by beating Los Angeles 3-0 Wednesday night.

“This was kind of one of our game,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “Last night was one of our games. In these tight games, you have to take advantage of your opportunities.”

Bartlett, who had three hits, broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff home run in the sixth against Ted Lilly (7-11). The Padres stopped their five-game losing streak against the Dodgers.

“That was supposed to be a fastball that was in on his hands,” Lilly said. “but it was up and too much out over the plate to which he could get the barrel through it. In those situations, you’re in a tight game like that, it’s pretty disappointing for me to let a game go like that.”

The Dodgers nearly tied it in the seventh. Dioner Navarro led off with a single and Tony Gwynn Jr. reached on a bunt single. First baseman Jesus Guzman fielded Gwynn’s drag bunt cleanly, but second baseman Orlando Hudson failed to cover first.

“It was a well-placed bunt and we just weren’t able to get him,” Stauffer said.

Jamey Carroll advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt and Stauffer was pulled. Reliever Josh Spence then intentionally walked pinch-hitter Casey Blake — Spence, a 2010 draftee who began the season in Double-A San Antonio, had retired his previous 14 batters.

Spence escaped the bases-loaded jam when he caught a line drive from Dee Gordon and struck out pinch-hitter Aaron Miles.

Chad Qualls worked a scoreless eighth before Heath Bell came on in the ninth.

Bell, the subject of trade rumors prior to the July 31 deadline, got his first save since San Diego opted not to deal the closer, who is in the last year of his contract. The save was Bell’s 31st in 33 opportunities.

Stauffer and Lilly traded scoreless innings before Bartlett hit a drive that barely cleared the left-field fence. The home run was Bartlett’s second of the season and first at Petco Park, and snapped a 16-inning scoreless stretch for the Padres.

Lilly had allowed just three hits prior to Bartlett’s homer, and had retired the previous eight batters. He worked six innings, yielding one run on four hits while striking out seven and walking one in his first loss to San Diego in three starts this season.

Aaron Cunningham tripled and scored in the seventh. Jesus Guzman singled to score Bartlett for another run in the eighth.

Stauffer (7-8) gave up six hits, walked one and struck out two.

“I felt good,” Stauffer said. “I was able to command really all of my pitches tonight. I got ahead early, and forced them to put the ball in play early and hit some balls hard but hit them at my guys who made some plays when they needed to.”

NOTES: The shutout was San Diego’s sixth of the season, while the Dodgers have been held scoreless 11 times. The Dodgers beat the Padres 1-0 the previous night. … Padres C Nick Hundley began a rehab assignment in San Antonio on Tuesday. Hundley, who had surgery on his right elbow, is expected to return to the Padres during the upcoming 10-game road trip. … The Dodgers and Padres are off Thursday.

Bartlett, who had three hits, broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff home run in the sixth against Ted Lilly.

“Just to get a run on the board felt good,” Bartlett said. “Our pitchers have been pitching well. We got Stauffer some runs tonight and he pitched well.” The Padres stopped their five-game losing streak against the Dodgers.

Stauffer (7-8) gave up six hits, walked one and struck out two.

“I felt good,” Stauffer said. “I was able to command really all of my pitches tonight. I got ahead early, and forced them to put the ball in play early and hit some balls hard but hit them at my guys who made some plays when they needed to.”

The Dodgers nearly tied it in the seventh. Dioner Navarro led off with a single and Tony Gwynn Jr. reached on a bunt single. First baseman Jesus Guzman fielded Gwynn’s drag bunt cleanly, but second baseman Orlando Hudson failed to cover first.

“It was a well-placed bunt and we just weren’t able to get him,” Stauffer said.

Jamey Carroll advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt and Stauffer was pulled. Reliever Josh Spence then intentionally walked pinch-hitter Casey Blake — Spence, a 2010 draftee who began the season in Double-A San Antonio, had retired his previous 14 batters.

Spence escaped the bases-loaded jam when he caught a line drive from Dee Gordon and struck out pinch-hitter Aaron Miles on a full count.

“This is a guy who understands how to get people out,” Padres manager Bud Black said of Spence. “He knows his game, and that’s one of the things that our minor league people told us. He’s poised and he’s a clear thinker. He keeps the ball out of the middle of the plate, and that’s what we’ve seen so far.”

Chad Qualls worked a scoreless eighth before Heath Bell came on in the ninth.

Bell, the subject of trade rumors prior to the July 31 deadline, posted his first save since San Diego opted not to deal the closer, who is in the last year of his contract. The save was Bell’s 31st in 33 opportunities.

Stauffer and Lilly (7-11) traded scoreless innings before Bartlett hit a drive that barely cleared the left-field fence. The home run was Bartlett’s second of the season and first at Petco Park, and snapped a 16-inning scoreless stretch for the Padres.

Lilly had allowed just three hits prior to Bartlett’s homer, and had retired the previous eight batters. He worked six innings, yielding one run on four hits while striking out seven and walking one in his first loss to San Diego in three starts this season.

“That was supposed to be a fastball that was in on his hands,” Lilly said, “but it was up and too much out over the plate to which he could get the barrel through it. In those situations, you’re in a tight game like that, it’s pretty disappointing for me to let a game go like that.”

Aaron Cunningham tripled and scored in the seventh. Jesus Guzman singled to score Bartlett for another run in the eighth.

“This was kind of one of our game,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “Last night was one of our games. In these tight games, you have to take advantage of your opportunities.”

NOTES: The shutout was San Diego’s sixth of the season, while the Dodgers have been held scoreless 11 times. The Dodgers beat the Padres 1-0 the previous night. … Padres C Nick Hundley began a rehab assignment in San Antonio on Tuesday. Hundley, who had surgery on his right elbow, is expected to return to the Padres during the upcoming 10-game road trip. … The Dodgers and Padres are off Thursday.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Tim Stauffer shut down the Dodgers offense while the San Diego Padres hitters broke out of a scoreless funk just in time to avert a three-game sweep and a sixth consecutive loss to a division rival.

Jason Bartlett homered and the San Diego Padres averted a three-game sweep by beating Los Angeles 3-0 Wednesday night.

Bartlett, who had three hits, broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff home run in the sixth against Ted Lilly.

“Just to get a run on the board felt good,” Bartlett said. “Our pitchers have been pitching well. We got Stauffer some runs tonight and he pitched well.” The Padres stopped their five-game losing streak against the Dodgers.

Stauffer (7-8) gave up six hits, walked one and struck out two.

“I felt good,” Stauffer said. “I was able to command really all of my pitches tonight. I got ahead early, and forced them to put the ball in play early and hit some balls hard but hit them at my guys who made some plays when they needed to.”

The Dodgers nearly tied it in the seventh. Dioner Navarro led off with a single and Tony Gwynn Jr. reached on a bunt single. First baseman Jesus Guzman fielded Gwynn’s drag bunt cleanly, but second baseman Orlando Hudson failed to cover first.

“It was a well-placed bunt and we just weren’t able to get him,” Stauffer said.

Jamey Carroll advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt and Stauffer was pulled. Reliever Josh Spence then intentionally walked pinch-hitter Casey Blake — Spence, a 2010 draftee who began the season in Double-A San Antonio, had retired his previous 14 batters.

Spence escaped the bases-loaded jam when he caught a line drive from Dee Gordon and struck out pinch-hitter Aaron Miles on a full count.

“This is a guy who understands how to get people out,” Padres manager Bud Black said of Spence. “He knows his game, and that’s one of the things that our minor league people told us. He’s poised and he’s a clear thinker. He keeps the ball out of the middle of the plate, and that’s what we’ve seen so far.”

Chad Qualls worked a scoreless eighth before Heath Bell came on in the ninth.

Bell, the subject of trade rumors prior to the July 31 deadline, posted his first save since San Diego opted not to deal the closer, who is in the last year of his contract. The save was Bell’s 31st in 33 opportunities.

Stauffer and Lilly (7-11) traded scoreless innings before Bartlett hit a drive that barely cleared the left-field fence. The home run was Bartlett’s second of the season and first at Petco Park, and snapped a 16-inning scoreless stretch for the Padres.

Lilly had allowed just three hits prior to Bartlett’s homer, and had retired the previous eight batters. He worked six innings, yielding one run on four hits while striking out seven and walking one in his first loss to San Diego in three starts this season.

“That was supposed to be a fastball that was in on his hands,” Lilly said, “but it was up and too much out over the plate to which he could get the barrel through it. In those situations, you’re in a tight game like that, it’s pretty disappointing for me to let a game go like that.”

Aaron Cunningham tripled and scored in the seventh. Jesus Guzman singled to score Bartlett for another run in the eighth.

“This was kind of one of our game,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “Last night was one of our games. In these tight games, you have to take advantage of your opportunities.”

NOTES: The shutout was San Diego’s sixth of the season, while the Dodgers have been held scoreless 11 times. The Dodgers beat the Padres 1-0 the previous night. … Padres C Nick Hundley began a rehab assignment in San Antonio on Tuesday. Hundley, who had surgery on his right elbow, is expected to return to the Padres during the upcoming 10-game road trip. … The Dodgers and Padres are off Thursday.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Hiroki Kuroda pitched seven shutout innings and Matt Kemp had two hits and drove in the only run and the Los Angeles Dodgers shut out the San Diego Padres 1-0 on Tuesday.

Kuroda (7-13) snapped a four-game losing streak, allowing four hits while striking out eight and walking two. It was his second strong outing in San Diego this season, as he also shut out the Padres in April.

Kemp had two hits and drove in the only run, adding to his NL best RBI total (84) as the Dodgers beat San Diego for a fifth consecutive time. Kemp also made a strong defensive play in the ninth, snaring a fly ball off the bat of Aaron Cunningham.

Mat Latos (5-11) went seven solid innings while yielding one run, but was pulled for a pinch hitter in the seventh.

Mike MacDougal allowed the tying run to reach third base in the eighth after giving up two singles, but recovered to retire the next two batters and preserve the lead.

Javy Guerra converted his ninth save in as many chances with a perfect ninth.

Latos allowed Dee Gordon to reach on a bunt single in the fourth, and Gordon scored on Kemp’s first single.

Latos gave up six hits while striking out six, including four of the first nine batters in the game, and did not issue a walk.

The shutout is the Dodgers’ 13th of the season, while San Diego has been held scoreless 16 times this year, including nine times at Petco Park.

Blake Tekotte was the lone bright spot for the San Diego offense, collecting three hits in his first game since being recalled from Double-A San Antonio. Tekotte also collected two steals in his second stint in San Diego.

Notes: Will Venable pinch hit in the seventh and remained in the game in left field after not playing since Friday due to back spasms. … The Dodgers have not announced who will fill the fifth spot in their starting rotation after Rubby De La Rosa went on the DL on Monday and will undergo season-ending elbow surgery. .. Andre Ethier did not play in the game strictly as a day off, according to manager Don Mattingly.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Unfortunately for the San Diego Padres, they picked up right where they left off before the All-Star break.

All-Star closer Heath Bell surrendered a tying home run to Aubrey Huff leading off the ninth inning and Luke Gregerson issued a bases-loaded walk to Mike Fontenot to force in the go-ahead run with two outs in the 12th, sending struggling San Diego to a 6-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night.

The bullpen collapse extended the last-place Padres’ losing streak to six games, tying their season high.

Bell was trying to preserve a 1-0 win for Aaron Harang, who threw seven strong innings in his second start back from a stint on the disabled list. But Huff muscled an 0-2 pitch several rows into the stands down the right-field line for his ninth homer.

Bell had gone 99 games and 102 innings — the longest stretch in franchise history — since giving up his last homer, to San Francisco’s Juan Uribe on April 19, 2010.

It was Bell’s second blown save in 62 chances dating to last year and second in 28 opportunities this year.

“It’s unfortunate because I blew the game,” Bell said. “I’ll just try not to make the same mistake twice.”

Giants All-Star closer Brian Wilson came on with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 12th for his 27th save in 31 chances. He allowed Will Venable’s sacrifice fly and walked Chris Denorfia to load the bases before getting Jason Bartlett to ground out.

Cody Ross started the winning rally in the five-run 12th with a leadoff walk against Gregerson (2-3) and was replaced by Emmanuel Burriss, who stole second. Gregerson then walked Brandon Crawford and committed an error trying to field Eli Whiteside’s bunt, loading the bases. Miguel Tejada fouled out and Andres Torres struck out before Fontenot walked on four straight pitches.

The NL West-leading Giants piled on with Pablo Sandoval’s two-run single and RBI base hits by Nate Schierholtz and Huff. All five runs that inning were unearned.

Gregerson “had trouble with his release point,” manager Bud Black said. “Didn’t look comfortable once he got into his inning, which is very uncharacteristic of Luke. He’s a guy who throws in those situations. He doesn’t mind the heat.”

Santiago Casillas (2-1) threw two perfect innings for the win.

The Padres, the lowest-scoring team in the NL, dropped 13 games behind the defending World Series champions and 13 games under .500.

The Padres had scored only two runs in their last 44 innings before the All-Star break. Their losing streak includes consecutive shutouts at Los Angeles, including a game in which the Dodgers didn’t get their first hit until there were two outs in the ninth inning.

Harang held the Giants to five hits while striking out four and walking one. In his previous start, Harang handed a no-hit bid to the bullpen after six innings before the Dodgers won 1-0 after getting two hits with two outs in the ninth.

Whiteside tied his career high with three hits.

The Padres had three consecutive hits off Madison Bumgarner for a run with two outs in the third. Denorfia singled to right, advanced on Jason Bartlett’s base hit to center and scored on Chase Headley’s single to left.

Bumgarner allowed seven hits in six innings, struck out four and walked none.

NOTES: San Diego State football coach Rocky Long threw out the ceremonial first pitch, to Padres manager Bud Black, an SDSU alum. … The Padres wore 1983 throwback brown uniforms as a tribute to Hall of Fame manager Dick Williams, who died July 7. There was also a video tribute and a moment of silence. Williams managed the Padres from 1982-85, including reaching the World Series for the first time in franchise history in 1984. Williams managed the Oakland Athletics to back-to-back World Series titles and also led the Boston Red Sox to the 1967 World Series. … Headley left in the eighth with a bruised left ankle.

There are plenty of reasons to remain skeptical about the Dodgers.

They are still 10 games under .500.

They still haven’t demonstrated an ability to score with any kind of consistency.

And the three-game sweep they completed Sunday was over the San Diego Padres, who replaced them as the last-place team in the National League West.

But after extended their winning streak to a season-long four games with a 4-1 victory over the Padres at Dodger Stadium, Manager Don Mattingly said he wished his team could continue playing rather than head into the All-Star break.

“It seemed like a good thing about four days ago,” Mattingly said of the midseason intermission.

The Dodgers are in fourth place with a 41-51 record.

“We still know the position we’re in and the position we’re trying to get back to,” Andre Ethier said. “That being said, it’s great. We feel good about bouncing back.”

The Dodgers are unbeaten since veteran infielder Jamey Carroll called a pregame, players-only meeting Friday. Tony Gwynn Jr. said the players set a goal of climbing out of last place before starting their four-day vacations.

Their latest victory came as a result of two home runs by Ethier and another fine performance by the pitching staff.

Ted Lilly (6-9) held the Padres to a run over five innings to earn his first win in five starts. Kenley Jansen, Hong-Chih Kuo, Matt Guerrier, Mike MacDougal and Javy Guerra combined for four shutout innings.

“Pitching is going to be our bread and butter,” Mattingly said.

The Dodgers, who have a team earned-run average of 3.89, held the Padres to one run over the last three days. The Padres were 0 for 25 with runners in scoring position in the series.

Mattingly said that was a credit to the Dodgers’ pitching, even though the Padres rank last in the NL in batting average and runs scored.

“The pitching staff has done a really good job all season,” Gwynn said. “As an offense, we’re finding ways to scrape enough runs to win games.”

The Dodgers received help from Gwynn’s former teammates Sunday.

With no outs and the bases loaded in the third inning, Matt Kemp hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Chase Headley, who backhanded the ball. Instead of touching third or throwing to first, Headley went home, only to send the ball to the right of catcher Rob Johnson.

Gwynn and Rafael Furcal scored to put the Dodgers ahead, 2-1.

“No matter how ugly it was at times, we found ways to win ballgames,” Gwynn said. “You look at the Padres over there, they probably have one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball.”

The Padres have a team ERA of 3.23.

Mattingly said he was proud of his team for continuing to fight, pointing out that the Dodgers went into Thursday on a five-game losing streak.

Gwynn said the Dodgers have the character necessary to deal with failure.

“We have a right bunch of guys in the clubhouse,” Gwynn said. “We have veterans, a bunch of young guys who want to learn and ask questions. Everybody gets along well in this clubhouse. If you have that kind of combination, it’s a lot easier to be resilient.”

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

Andre Ethier clubbed two home runs while
Ted Lilly and the Dodgers’ bullpen held the San Diego Padres to one run in a
4-1 win to complete a three-game sweep.

Matt Kemp drove in a run for the Dodgers, who swept the Padres for the first
time since May 14-16 of last year and have won a season-high four consecutive
games.

Lily (6-9) allowed four hits and one run over five innings while five pitchers
from the bullpen sewed up the win, combining to surrender just two hits over
four scoreless frames.

Rob Johnson’s solo homer in the third made up the lone run for the Padres, who
have lost five straight.

Starter Tim Stauffer (5-6) was charged with the loss after giving up three
runs — two earned — on three hits and five walks.

The two teams are in the cellar of the NL West heading into the All-Star
break. With Sunday’s win, LA has a 41-51 record, just one game ahead of the
last-placed Padres.

Johnson put San Diego on the board with a leadoff homer in the third, but the
Dodgers responded.

During the bottom half of the inning, Stauffer couldn’t find the strike zone
and walked the first three batters he saw. With the bases loaded, Kemp hit
a grounder to third. Chase Headley made a diving catch but threw wildly to
home that allowed Tony Gwynn Jr. and Rafael Furcal to score.

Ethier added a solo home run in the fifth to make it a 3-1 game and he
skied another homer in the eighth to give LA a three-run cushion.

Meanwhile, the Padres, who have scored just two runs in the last 44 innings,
could not find any offense during the last six frames. Kenley Jansen, Hong-
Chih Kuo, Matt Guerrier, Mike MacDougal and Javy Guerra all came out of the
bullpen for the Dodgers to shut San Diego down. Guerra pitched a scoreless
ninth to get his fourth save of the season.

Game Notes

It was Ethier’s 11th multi-home run game of his career, first since May 2,
2010…Stauffer tossed his seventh consecutive quality start, but fell to 4-2
over his past seven starts…The Dodgers announced before the game that
infielder Juan Castro retired and will join the club’s front office as special
assistant for baseball operations and player development. Castro, 39,
collected four hits in 15 at-bats over seven games this season with the
Dodgers, his 17th major-league campaign…Both teams combined to go 0-for-12
with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base.

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“I made one bad pitch, and that was it. It’s as simple as that,” Gregerson said.

Navarro then looped a 1-2 pitch into short right-center to give the Dodgers three consecutive shutout victories for the first time since July 1991. Los Angeles has won nine of its last 19 games, and seven of those victories have been shutouts – including the last five.

“Everybody wants to get that hit and be the guy,” Navarro said. “We just kept telling ourselves to be patient and do the best we can. I knew there was a base open and they were going to pitch around me, which they did. But then he threw a fastball in there. I was looking for a pitch up in the strike zone, and I put some good wood on it.”

Aaron Harang started for San Diego and worked six innings, finishing with six strikeouts and three walks. Josh Spence came on and struck out his only batter, Andre Ethier, before Chad Qualls escaped a jam to keep the game scoreless.

Matt Kemp reached on a two-base throwing error by shortstop Jason Bartlett, and James Loney was intentionally walked before Qualls retired Uribe on a foul pop-up and Navarro on a comebacker.

The Padres got only one hit themselves against rookie righthander Rubby De La Rosa and three relievers. Blake Hawksworth (2-2) pitched a perfect ninth after Matt Guerrier and Mike MacDougal each got three outs.

De La Rosa, who had no more than six strikeouts in any of his six previous big-league starts, fanned seven of his first 10 batters while matching zeros with Harang through the first six innings.

Dodgers 1, Padres 0

San Diego 000 000 000 – 0 1 2

Los Angeles 000 000 001 – 1 2 0

San Diego AB   R   H   BI   BB   SO   Avg.   

Venable rf 3   0   0   0   1   1   .244   

Bartlett ss 4   0   0   0   0   1   .238   

O.Hudson 2b 4   0   0   0   0   1   .225   

Headley 3b 2   0   0   0   2   1   .299   

Denorfia lf 3   0   0   0   1   1   .284   

Maybin cf 3   0   1   0   0   0   .263   

Rizzo 1b 3   0   0   0   0   1   .159   

Ro.Johnson c 3   0   0   0   0   1   .176   

Harang p 2   0   0   0   0   2   .115   

Spence p 0   0   0   0   0   0   —   

Qualls p 0   0   0   0   0   0   —   

b-K.Phillips ph 1   0   0   0   0   1   .213   

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Two games into their weekend series in Los Angeles, and the San Diego Padres are still looking for a run.

And they almost took the first two anyway.

Luke Gregerson allowed Juan Uribe’s two-out, two-strike double in the ninth inning for Los Angeles’ first hit of the game, and Dioner Navarro followed with a game-ending single to give the Dodgers their second consecutive 1-0 victory on Saturday.

Aaron Harang started for San Diego and worked six innings, finishing with six strikeouts and three walks while throwing 95 pitches. Josh Spence and Chad Qualls combined to work the seventh and Mike Adams got three outs before Gregerson (2-2) entered the game.

The Padres are without a no-hitter in the team’s 43-year history.

“To tell the truth, I don’t think anyone in the bullpen knew there was a no-hitter going,” Gregerson said. “The starter was out of the game, so what did it matter at that point? It’s only fun if the starter goes nine innings and throws a no-hitter and your guys score some runs. But a loss is a loss at the end of the day.”

“I made one bad pitch and that was it. It’s as simple as that,” Gregerson added. “The slider was working really good today and I just left one up and paid for it. I made a good pitch to Navarro and he got it. That’s all that matters.”

Navarro’s hit to short right-center gave the Dodgers three consecutive shutout victories for the first time since July 1991. Los Angeles has won nine of its last 19 games, and seven of those victories have been shutouts – including the last five.

“Everybody wants to get that hit and be the guy,” Navarro said. “We just kept telling ourselves to be patient and do the best we can. I knew there was a base open and they were going to pitch around me, which they did. But then he threw a fastball in there. I was looking for a pitch up in the strike zone and I put some good wood on it.”

The 33-year-old Harang had missed 26 games because of a bruised right foot, which occurred during his 7-2 victory over Washington on June 9. At the time of his injury, he had a string of five straight starts in which he did not allow more than two runs.

He might have gone longer in this one had he not thrown 37 pitches in the first inning.

“I think if it was a different situation and I got through seven, it’s probably going to be a different,” Harang said. “I felt great. I felt like I was commanding the ball well and my off-speed stuff was there. But obviously that first inning killed me. Even if I get through that inning in 20 pitches, it puts the aspect of going back out there in a different scenario. That was the difference in me staying out there, I think.”

Spence struck out his only batter, Andre Ethier, before Qualls escaped a jam to keep the game scoreless. Matt Kemp reached on a two-base throwing error by shortstop Jason Bartlett and James Loney was intentionally walked before Qualls retired Uribe on a foul popup and Navarro on a comebacker.

Adams got out of another scrape in the eighth, retiring Tony Gwynn Jr., Rafael Furcal and Ethier after Jamey Carroll drew a leadoff walk and third baseman Chase Headley committed a throwing error on a sacrifice by pinch-hitter Trent Oeltjen.

The Padres got only one hit themselves against rookie right-hander Rubby De La Rosa and three relievers. Blake Hawksworth (2-2) pitched a perfect ninth inning after Matt Guerrier and Mike MacDougal each got three outs.

San Diego has dropped its last four games, scoring only six runs during the slide.

“I’ve seen some crazy things in my nine years in the big leagues,” Padres second baseman Orlando Hudson said, “but that’s the way the game goes. So what are you going to do? You just keep playing.”

De La Rosa, who had no more than six strikeouts in any of his six previous big league starts, fanned seven of his first 10 batters while matching zeros with Harang through the first six innings.

“That kid’s got a bright future ahead of him,” Hudson said. “He’s good. He had good stuff. He’s got a great fastball, good command of his changeup and he’s got a good slider.”

Cameron Maybin had the first hit of the game in the fifth, a clean single through the box following Denorfia’s leadoff walk. Both runners advanced on a one-out grounder by Rob Johnson, but De La Rosa escaped the jam by striking out Harang.

NOTES: Furcal singled home the only run in the series opener in the eighth inning. … The Dodgers gave Derek Jeter his due, replaying his 3,000th hit on the videoboard before the game while organist Nancy Bea Hefley played a rousing rendition of “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” Another member of the 3,000-hit club – Tony Gwynn Sr. – watched it live from a couch in the Dodgers’ clubhouse, just a few feet from his son’s locker. “The only time I ever said anything to (Jeter) about hitting was when he came up to me during Game 1 of the World Series in New York in ’98,” Gwynn recalled later in the Padres’ dugout. “I was standing on second base and he said: ‘Man you need to teach me how to hit.’ And I said: ‘Yeah, right. You’re kidding me, right? You’re such a good hitter.’ I always thought he was a good hitter, ever since he came up. You just knew that, as consistent as he was, sooner or later he was going to get to this point.” … The Padres optioned RHP Pat Neshek to Triple-A Tucson to open a roster spot for Harang.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.