Padres find their offense, take down Dodgers
Catcher Raffy Lopez hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning Saturday night to lead the San Diego Padres to a 7-4 victory over the Los Dodgers a night after being no-hit in Monterrey, Mexico.
Mexican native Christian Villanueva drew a walk from Dodgers right-handed reliever Josh Fields to open the Padres sixth after the Dodgers had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth.
After Fields struck out Franchy Cordero, Lopez homered to right for his first hit of the season. The 30-year-old catcher was recalled from Triple-A El Paso last Tuesday when Austin Hedges went on the disabled list with right elbow tendinitis.
The Padres added two runs against Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson in the bottom of the eighth. Franchy Cordero drew a lead-off walk and came around on singles by Lopez and pinch-hitter Chase Headley. Lopez then scored on a broken-bat single by Carlos Asuaje.
Kirby Yates (1-1) was credited with the win, while Padres closer Brad Hand picked up his eighth save. Five Padres relievers held the Dodgers to one run on five hits over 6 2/3 innings after starter Bryan Mitchell lasted just 2 1/3 innings.
Fields (2-1) suffered the loss for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers' bid for a second straight no-hitter ended quickly.
Travis Jankowski opened the Padres' first with a triple and Eric Hosmer homered, his fourth of the season, off Dodgers' starter Kenta Maeda to give the Padres a quick 2-0 lead.
But the struggling Mitchell couldn't hold the lead for an inning. Matt Kemp homered, his fifth of the season, to lead off the second. Max Muncy then drew a two-out walk and came around on singles by Maeda and Chris Taylor.
Mitchell was in trouble again in the third, as Cody Bellinger drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on Kemp's single.
Padres manager Andy Green then yanked Mitchell after just 2 1/3 innings in his shortest outing of the season. Mitchell allowed three runs on five hits and three walks to raise his earned run average to 6.47.
The Padres tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when Franchy Cordero drew a lead-off walk, moved to third on Jose Pirela's single and scored on Freddy Galvis' sacrifice fly.
The Dodgers regained the lead in the sixth when Yates hit Taylor with a pitch with the bases loaded.
--Field Level Media
