The Sports Xchange
May 7, 2017
SAN DIEGO -- As expected, the battle of the left-handed Claytons on Saturday night at Petco Park went to Clayton Kershaw.
The Dodgers ace continued his domination of San Diego, holding the Padres to an eighth-inning solo homer by pinch-hitter Ryan Schimpf to win his eighth straight decision against them in the Dodgers' 10-2 victory at Petco Park.
Kershaw allowed five hits and issued a season-high four walks against nine strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. He is now 5-2 in seven starts this season. Kershaw lowered his ERA from 2.61 to 2.40. He is 16-6 lifetime against the Padres with a 2.00 ERA in 31 starts.
Cody Bellinger capped a five-run ninth inning against Padres reliever Miguel Diaz with a grand slam -- his third homer in two games against the Padres.
Bellinger, who had five RBIs Saturday, took over at first base after Adrian Gonzalez went on the disabled list Friday for the first time in his career.
Padres starter and loser Clayton Richard (2-4) battled Kershaw to a draw for three innings before the Dodgers scored three in the fourth inning and two in the fifth when he lost command of the strike zone.
In the third, singles by Justin Turner and Bellinger around a walk to Franklin Gutierrez produced the first run. Gutierrez scored when an attempted pickoff throw from catcher Austin Hedges hit the left fielder in the back and rolled down the line. Yasiel Puig singled home Bellinger to make it 3-0.
Richard walked three of the first four Dodgers he faced in the fifth with Chris Taylor and Turner scoring on Enrique Hernandez's two-run double to left.
Richard worked five innings and allowed five runs, seven hits and six walks. He struck out five.
NOTES: The first names on both batteries Saturday night were Clayton and Austin. Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw and Austin Barnes; Padres: Clayton Richard and Austin Hedges. ... Sunday afternoon's scheduled series finale is threatened by a rare May cold front in San Diego. Close to an inch of rain is forecast and temperatures are expected to be 15-20 degrees below normal. ... Dodgers starting CF Franklin Gutierrez departed with hip tightness in the fifth inning. ... LHP Clayton Kershaw had 53 strikeouts while issuing only seven walks. Padres rookie RF Hunter Renfroe had drawn only two walks while striking out 36 times. So Renfroe drew walks in each of his first two plate appearances against Kershaw. ... Dodgers LHP Rich Hill is expected to throw five innings or 75 pitches on a rehab assignment Tuesday and could be activated from the disabled list after that. He is on the disabled list for the second time this season with a blister on his left middle finger. ... Dodgers C Yasmani Grandal got the day off. ... Padres INF-OF Cory Spangenberg is riding a six-game hitting streak and has hit in nine of his 11 games since being recalled from Triple-A El Paso.