Dodgers Lose Sixth Straight; Upton's 2-Run Double Gives Padres 5-2 Win
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Melvin Upton Jr. hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the fifth inning, and the San Diego Padres also got RBI doubles from Wil Myers and Matt Kemp to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 Saturday night.
Colin Rea (2-1) allowed two runs and four hits over six innings in his Dodger Stadium debut, helping send the three-time defending NL West champions to their sixth straight loss. The 25-year-old right-hander's only mistake resulted in a two-run homer by Chase Utley in the third.
Fernando Rodney got three outs for his fourth save in four chances. Since July 2014, the Padres have won 101 consecutive games in which they led after eight innings.
Ross Stripling (0-1) gave up five runs and seven hits through 4 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking two in his fifth big league start. The 26-year-old right-hander, who held San Francisco hitless through 7 1/3 innings in his big league debut on April 8, was coming off a 3-2 loss to Miami on Monday.
The score was tied 2-all when Stripling walked Myers and Kemp with two out in the fifth. It appeared that Stripling was squeezed by umpire Mark Wegner on a 2-2 pitch to Upton, who drove the next one to right-center to score both runners.
Alexei Ramirez followed with an RBI single that chased Stripling and gave San Diego a 5-2 lead.
The Padres grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third with doubles by Jon Jay, Myers and Kemp on three consecutive pitches with one out.
The Dodgers tied it in the bottom half when Utley drove a 3-1 pitch into the right field pavilion for his first homer of the season, after a leadoff walk to Stripling. Utley's 237 career homers are second among active second basemen.
SPIKE MARKS
Padres: 3B Adam Rosales struck out all four times up, raising his season total to 19 in 47 at-bats. ... Kemp,who hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth inning of Friday's series-opening 5-1 victory is hitting .316 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 21 games against the Dodgers since they traded him to San Diego in a multiplayer deal that brought Yasmani Grandal to Los Angeles.
Dodgers: Utley had started only 11 games in the leadoff spot during his 13 previous big league seasons. This year, he has batted first in 21 games (19 starts) and is batting .289 with seven RBIs. ... Carl Crawford, who leads all active players in triples, hit the 123rd of his career with two out in the fourth. But Rea struck out Stripling on a pitch in the dirt after an intentional walk to Joc Pederson.
UP NEXT
Padres: LHP Drew Pomeranz (2-2) will be matched up against a left-hander for the fourth time in his first five starts when he opposes Clayton Kershaw in Sunday's series finale. The only other time they started against each other was May 2, 2012, when Pomeranz allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings and Kershaw gave up five runs over 7 1/3. Neither got a decision, as the Colorado Rockies won 8-5 at Coors Field.
Dodgers: Kershaw (2-1, 2.43 ERA) is 13-6 with a 2.16 ERA in 28 career starts against the Padres. The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner and 2014 MVP has won his last five outings against them, allowing just five runs in 39 innings during that stretch while striking out 49. Kershaw threw seven innings of one-hit ball at San Diego on opening day in a 15-0 victory.
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