Dodgers 2, Padres 1
LOS ANGELES -- Mark Ellis singled with one out in the eighth inning, scoring Skip Schumaker from third and providing the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.
The victory ended a night of frustration for the Dodgers, who didn't have trouble getting runners on base, but were unable to get them home.
The Dodgers tied the score in the seventh inning before going ahead in the eighth.
Schumaker led off the eighth inning with a double down the left field line. He was sacrificed to third by Tim Federowicz, who had been 1-for-3 to that point with two strikeouts. Ellis stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter and helped deliver the Dodgers' 23th victory in 29 August games.
The victory overshadowed a gutsy performance by Padres starting pitcher Andrew Cashner.
Cashner spent the first six innings working his way out of trouble. The Dodgers got runners on base in the first six innings against the right-hander but were unable to score.
Cashner found himself walking the proverbial tightrope in the sixth inning when the Dodgers had runners at first and third with one out. He got Schumaker to hit a soft liner to shortstop Ronny Cedeno for the second out before striking out Federowicz.
Cashner found himself in another jam in the seventh inning after pinch-hitter Jerry Hairston and Carl Crawford singled. Cashner struck out Yasiel Puig but Adrian Gonzalez lined a single to center field to score Hairston.
The Padres weren't able to do much against Dodger starter Chris Capuano despite getting runners on base in the first three innings. Cedeno broke the spell with a solo home run in the fourth inning.
Cedeno hit a solo home run to give the Padres a 1-0 lead over the Dodgers through five innings.
Cedeno's home run, his first since joining the Padres on Aug. 6, came in the fourth inning off of Capuano. The Padres came within inches of adding to their lead when Cashner hit a two-out single to right field with Rene Rivera at second base, but Rivera was thrown out at home by Puig to end the inning.
NOTES: San Diego INF Yonder Alonso will have his right hand examined when the Padres return home on Monday. Alonso hurt his hand on a check swing during Friday night's loss to the Dodgers. ... Padres 3B Chase Headly missed his third consecutive game Saturday. He has been bothered by a stiff back. ... Dodgers OF Matt Kemp continued his rehab assignment as the designated hitter for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Saturday. He has been on the disabled list since July 22 with a sprained left ankle. ... Dodger pitcher Paco Rodriguez took a streak of 10 1/3 scoreless innings into Saturday's game against the Padres.
